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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: pound · pass · squash · rush · sharp · wound · hide · arm

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. squash — the sport
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wound — an injury
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. wound — an injury
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. sharp — clever
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. squash — to crush

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