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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 120 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: squash · rash · game · hide · pop · sharp · band · foot

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. rash — a series
  5. pop — music
  6. squash — the sport
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. rash — hasty
  9. game — a match
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. band — a ring
  12. pop — soda
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. squash — to crush
  16. pop — to visit
  17. sharp — clever
  18. game — wild animals
  19. foot — a measure
  20. band — a music group
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. game — a kind of play

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