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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 116 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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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: snap · lie · stand · hide · mark · club · squash · chip

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. lie — to recline
  3. squash — the sport
  4. club — a group
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. chip — to eat
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. squash — to crush
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. snap — to click
  12. mark — a trace
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. chip — for betting
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. mark — a grade
  18. club — for golf
  19. club — for dancing
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. stand — to bear
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. stand — for spectators

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