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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. firm — decided
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. firm — a company
  8. cap — a lid
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. deal — to handle
  11. cell — in biology
  12. squash — to crush
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. cap — a hat
  16. squash — the sport
  17. cell — a phone
  18. cap — of ice

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