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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cap — a hat
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. fall — to drop
  6. staff — employees
  7. wake — a trail
  8. tube — the underground
  9. staff — a stick
  10. tube — a container
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. root — of a plant
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. root — of a word
  16. root — the cause
  17. staff — employees
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. squash — the sport
  22. fall — the season
  23. cap — a lid
  24. fall — to drop

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