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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: rush · hide · content · wound · foot · bear · squash · fall

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. bear — the animal
  3. fall — to drop
  4. foot — a measure
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. wound — an injury
  10. squash — to crush
  11. content — happy
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — the season
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bear — the animal
  17. content — the amount
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. squash — the sport
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. rush — hurry

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