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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.

Make a worksheet

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: clip · cabinet · hide · wound · wave · squash · mark · season

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. mark — a trace
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. clip — a video
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. clip — to cut
  13. mark — a grade
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — an injury
  18. squash — to crush
  19. season — in sport
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. squash — the sport
  23. clip — for paper
  24. season — of the year

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