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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.

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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: rock · hide · squash · cue · tube · saw · toast · fall

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. fall — the season
  6. squash — to crush
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. saw — the tool
  9. fall — to drop
  10. toast — bread
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. cue — for pool
  13. rock — music
  14. squash — the sport
  15. cue — a hint
  16. tube — the underground
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. fall — to drop
  20. cue — a signal
  21. saw — the tool
  22. tube — a container
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. hide — to keep secret

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