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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. cue — for pool
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. cue — a hint
  5. firm — a company
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. cue — a signal
  9. rock — a stone
  10. squash — the sport
  11. fall — the season
  12. fall — to drop
  13. rock — music
  14. can — a tin
  15. fall — to drop
  16. firm — decided
  17. dip — to sink
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. can — a tin
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. can — to be able to

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