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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.

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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: leaves · mark · squash · hide · ball · hand · scale · bat

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  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. ball — a round shape
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. ball — a dance
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a trace
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. bat — the animal
  9. scale — in music
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. squash — the sport
  12. squash — to crush
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hand — help
  15. scale — size or range
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. mark — a grade
  22. ball — a great time
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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