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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: pop · wound · squash · bore · saw · season · racket · hide

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bore — to tire
  3. saw — the tool
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pop — soda
  6. wound — an injury
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. squash — the sport
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. wound — an injury
  14. season — of the year
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. season — in sport
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. pop — music
  20. squash — to crush
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. pop — to visit
  24. bore — to drill

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