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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.

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 · hide · stick · mate · bore · can · swing · ball

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. ball — a dance
  5. swing — music
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. squash — to crush
  9. bore — to tire
  10. swing — in golf
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. can — to be able to
  13. mate — a friend
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. bore — to drill
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. can — a tin
  18. swing — to play on
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. mate — to breed
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. mate — a partner
  23. squash — the sport
  24. ball — a great time

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