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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. cap — a hat
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. squash — the sport
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. cap — a lid
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. dip — to sink
  14. craft — a skill
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. cap — of ice
  17. craft — boats
  18. wake — a trail

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