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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. cap — of ice
  6. present — there
  7. firm — steady
  8. firm — a company
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. wound — an injury
  11. cap — a lid
  12. firm — decided
  13. squash — the sport
  14. wound — an injury
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. present — a gift
  17. present — the time now
  18. squash — to crush

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