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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. scale — in music
  3. scale — size or range
  4. firm — steady
  5. capital — money
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. lie — to recline
  9. suit — clothes
  10. squash — to crush
  11. squash — the sport
  12. suit — in cards
  13. face — part of the head
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. suit — to fit
  20. firm — a company
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. capital — a city
  23. face — to point toward
  24. face — to confront

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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