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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: hide · mouse · can · sharp · squash · hand · trunk · vault

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hand — in cards
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. vault — a safe
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. squash — to crush
  11. sharp — clever
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. can — a tin
  18. squash — the sport
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. hide — to keep secret

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