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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: pitch · kid · foot · wake · squash · rash · face · hide

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. squash — to crush
  3. face — part of the head
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. foot — a measure
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rash — hasty
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. squash — the sport
  11. face — to confront
  12. kid — child
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. face — to point toward
  19. kid — to tease
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. pitch — completely
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wake — before a funeral

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