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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.

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 · rock · cold · hide · cue · root · stock · rash

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. rash — hasty
  3. root — of a plant
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. stock — goods
  6. rock — music
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. rash — a series
  10. cue — for pool
  11. rock — a stone
  12. cue — a signal
  13. stock — shares
  14. cold — an illness
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. cold — not warm
  17. root — of a word
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. root — the cause
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. cue — a hint
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. squash — to crush

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