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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. spell — letters
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. cap — a hat
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. cap — of ice
  10. bank — for money
  11. firm — steady
  12. squash — the sport
  13. fall — to drop
  14. firm — decided
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bank — for money
  17. cap — a lid
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. spell — a short time
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. fall — the season
  22. squash — to crush
  23. bank — of a river
  24. firm — a company

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