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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: squash · bowl · cabinet · rush · ruler · hide · shower · cold

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. cold — not warm
  5. cold — an illness
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. squash — to crush
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. shower — to wash
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. shower — rain
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. rush — hurry
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. squash — the sport
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. hide — animal skin

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