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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 take my ________________ from you.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. bank — for money
  3. squash — to crush
  4. cue — a signal
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. cap — a hat
  7. spring — of water
  8. face — to confront
  9. bank — for money
  10. object — a thing
  11. bank — of a river
  12. face — part of the head
  13. cue — for pool
  14. spring — the season
  15. object — to protest
  16. spring — a coil
  17. can — to be able to
  18. can — a tin
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — of ice
  21. face — to point toward
  22. squash — the sport
  23. object — an aim
  24. can — a tin

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