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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. squash — to crush
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. deal — to handle
  5. squash — the sport
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. branch — a division
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. cap — a lid
  11. firm — a company
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. firm — steady
  14. cap — of ice
  15. lean — to bend
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. cap — a hat
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. cell — in biology
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. lean — thin
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. cell — a phone

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