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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: ball · kid · lean · present · bound · hide · squash · jam

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. present — the time now
  3. present — a gift
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. kid — to tease
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. lean — thin
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ball — a great time
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. kid — child
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bound — certain
  17. present — there
  18. squash — the sport
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. bound — tied together
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. lean — to bend
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. bound — obliged

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