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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
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: squash · bark · roll · pass · hide · bowl · field · lean

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. lean — thin
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. roll — a list
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. field — for sport
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. squash — to crush
  15. squash — the sport
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. field — a subject
  22. lean — to bend
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. roll — a cake

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