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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.

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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 · cue · squash · stand · lean · shower · wave · wake

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. shower — rain
  6. cue — a hint
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. shower — to wash
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. cue — a signal
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. squash — to crush
  13. lean — to bend
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wake — a trail
  16. cue — for pool
  17. lean — thin
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. stand — to bear
  24. squash — the sport

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