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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: deal · firm · cold · nail · root · squash · fall · present

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. cold — not warm
  3. cold — an illness
  4. deal — to handle
  5. squash — the sport
  6. root — of a plant
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. present — a gift
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. root — the cause
  14. squash — to crush
  15. fall — to drop
  16. present — there
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. root — of a word
  19. firm — decided
  20. present — the time now
  21. firm — a company
  22. firm — steady
  23. fall — to drop
  24. cold — the Cold War

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