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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.

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

Words on the sheet
468
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: squash · mouse · nail · sharp · bark · row · cue · wave

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. bark — to shout
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. row — a line
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. cue — a hint
  14. row — to paddle
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. cue — a signal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. cue — for pool
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. sharp — clever
  23. squash — to crush
  24. wave — with your hand

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