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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
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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: ruler · snap · can · stem · squash · lean · sharp · hide

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. snap — to click
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — clever
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. can — to be able to
  10. stem — to come from
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. lean — thin
  13. squash — to crush
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. squash — the sport
  19. can — a tin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. can — a tin
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. lean — to bend

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