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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 124 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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: squash · firm · mouse · fall · bulb · hide · branch · face

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  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. fall — the season
  2. fall — to drop
  3. face — to point toward
  4. fall — to drop
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. bulb — for light
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bulb — for light
  14. firm — decided
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. firm — steady
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. squash — to crush
  20. face — part of the head
  21. face — to confront
  22. branch — a division
  23. squash — the sport
  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