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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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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: land · hide · pass · squash · toast · firm · sharp · cell

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  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. sharp — exactly
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. toast — bread
  4. cell — in biology
  5. firm — decided
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. land — to come down
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. cell — a phone
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. land — a country
  12. pass — a permit
  13. firm — a company
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. land — ground
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. squash — the sport
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. sharp — clever
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. firm — steady
  23. squash — to crush
  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