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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 120 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: bark · scale · lie · bay · hide · pass · squash · rash

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. squash — the sport
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. rash — hasty
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. bark — to shout
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. scale — in music
  18. rash — a series
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. squash — to crush
  21. lie — to recline
  22. scale — size or range
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. squash — the vegetable

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