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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. firm — a company
  5. firm — steady
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. pop — music
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. capital — a city
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rock — music
  14. squash — to crush
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. wake — a trail
  17. pop — to visit
  18. capital — money
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. firm — decided
  22. squash — the sport
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. pop — soda

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