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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.

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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: bowl · band · snap · squash · scale · suit · hide · mate

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. squash — to crush
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. snap — to click
  6. mate — a partner
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. scale — in music
  9. band — a ring
  10. suit — in cards
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. suit — clothes
  13. mate — a friend
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. suit — to fit
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. squash — the sport
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. band — a music group
  23. scale — size or range
  24. mate — to breed

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