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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: wound · kid · board · rash · rush · squash · hide · snap

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. rash — a series
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. wound — an injury
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. board — a committee
  8. rush — hurry
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. kid — child
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. squash — the sport
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. kid — to tease
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. wound — an injury
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. board — to get on
  22. squash — to crush
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. snap — to click

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