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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 120 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: leaves · game · chip · last · squash · mate · hide · mouse

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. game — wild animals
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. chip — to eat
  7. mate — a friend
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. last — final
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mate — a partner
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. last — finally
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. last — to go on
  21. game — a match
  22. squash — the sport
  23. squash — to crush
  24. chip — for betting

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