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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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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: cue · bay · bound · shower · squash · hide · sharp · cell

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. shower — rain
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. shower — to wash
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. cell — a phone
  9. bound — tied together
  10. cue — for pool
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. cue — a signal
  13. squash — to crush
  14. bound — obliged
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. sharp — clever
  17. cell — in biology
  18. squash — the sport
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. cue — a hint

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