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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hide · squash · file · sharp · kick · wave

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. squash — to crush
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. squash — the sport
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. file — a tool
  14. file — a line of people
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. kick — in football
  18. sharp — clever

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com