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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
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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: wake · scale · rush · bay · squash · hand · sharp · hide

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. squash — to crush
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — size or range
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. rush — hurry
  10. hand — help
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. sharp — clever
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. hand — in cards
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. wake — a trail
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. rush — a thrill

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