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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.

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: squash · hide · chest · mine · pass · rash · pop · pitch

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. chest — of your body
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. squash — the sport
  7. pop — soda
  8. rash — a series
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. rash — hasty
  11. chest — a box
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pop — music
  15. mine — for digging
  16. squash — to crush
  17. pass — a permit
  18. chest — of your body
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pop — to visit
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. mine — an explosive

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