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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: chip · ball · spell · hide · fall · bay · squash · rush

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. fall — to drop
  5. chip — to eat
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. squash — to crush
  9. spell — a short time
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ball — a dance
  15. chip — for betting
  16. spell — letters
  17. fall — the season
  18. squash — the sport
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. spell — magic
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rush — a thrill

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