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

Word bank: squash · bear · cell · deal · lie · cap · mark · drill

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. bear — the animal
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. lie — to recline
  8. drill — army training
  9. mark — a trace
  10. drill — the tool
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cell — in biology
  14. mark — a grade
  15. cap — a hat
  16. squash — to crush
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. drill — a practice
  19. cell — a phone
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. bear — the animal
  22. deal — to handle
  23. squash — the sport
  24. deal — a big deal

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