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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.

Make a worksheet

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: hide · lie · spring · craft · squash · chair · suit · wake

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. spring — the season
  3. craft — a skill
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. spring — a coil
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. lie — to recline
  10. chair — a leader
  11. suit — in cards
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. suit — clothes
  14. squash — to crush
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. spring — of water
  20. suit — to fit
  21. wake — a trail
  22. craft — boats
  23. squash — the sport
  24. hide — animal skin

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