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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
468
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: firm · land · hide · stand · drill · cap · squash · mug

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  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. land — to come down
  2. firm — steady
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. mug — to rob
  5. drill — a practice
  6. squash — the sport
  7. land — ground
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. cap — of ice
  10. drill — the tool
  11. mug — a cup
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. cap — a hat
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. land — a country
  18. cap — a lid
  19. squash — to crush
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. firm — decided
  22. mug — a face
  23. drill — army training
  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