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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.

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: hide · face · last · squash · cue · pitcher · roll · bay

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. face — to confront
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. face — to point toward
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. cue — a hint
  12. squash — the sport
  13. face — part of the head
  14. cue — for pool
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. cue — a signal
  19. last — finally
  20. squash — to crush
  21. roll — a cake
  22. last — final
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. last — to go on

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