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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. face — to point toward
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. firm — steady
  5. fall — the season
  6. firm — decided
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cap — a lid
  9. firm — a company
  10. capital — a city
  11. fall — to drop
  12. squash — the sport
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. face — part of the head
  15. cap — a hat
  16. face — to confront
  17. capital — money
  18. fall — to drop

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