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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: hide · bay · face · capital · mate · squash · bound · swing

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. swing — music
  3. capital — a city
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. squash — the sport
  6. mate — to breed
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bound — obliged
  9. mate — a partner
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. mate — a friend
  12. swing — in golf
  13. face — part of the head
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bound — tied together
  16. swing — to play on
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. squash — to crush
  20. bound — certain
  21. face — to confront
  22. face — to point toward
  23. capital — money
  24. hide — animal skin

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