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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
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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: foot · squash · coach · ball · rock · cabinet · spell · hide

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  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. hide — to keep secret
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. rock — a stone
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. spell — magic
  8. squash — to crush
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. spell — a short time
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. spell — letters
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. squash — the sport
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. foot — a measure
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. rock — music
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. ball — a dance
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. ball — a great time
  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