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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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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: hide · fall · fine · squash · can · tube · stick · deal

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. squash — to crush
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. fine — high quality
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. tube — the underground
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. fall — the season
  9. fine — all right
  10. can — a tin
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. can — a tin
  14. squash — the sport
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. tube — a container
  18. fall — to drop
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. deal — to handle
  21. can — to be able to
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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