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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 124 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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. face — to confront
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. court — of law
  5. court — of a king
  6. current — of water
  7. cap — of ice
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. cap — a hat
  12. court — for sport
  13. current — happening now
  14. squash — the sport
  15. face — part of the head
  16. fall — to drop
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. face — to point toward
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. current — electric
  22. fall — the season
  23. cap — a lid
  24. mine — for digging

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