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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 120 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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. squash — to crush
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. branch — a division
  15. squash — the sport
  16. capital — a city
  17. last — finally
  18. capital — money
  19. last — to go on
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. last — final

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