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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 116 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
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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 · spell · season · squash · mark · coach · scale · firm

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. mark — a grade
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. squash — to crush
  5. squash — the sport
  6. firm — decided
  7. season — in sport
  8. spell — letters
  9. scale — size or range
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. firm — steady
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. mark — a trace
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. season — of the year
  19. firm — a company
  20. spell — magic
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. spell — a short time
  24. scale — in music

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