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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.

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 · bowl · current · court · cold · mine · cap · squash

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cap — a hat
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. court — of law
  7. squash — the sport
  8. current — of water
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. mine — for digging
  13. cap — of ice
  14. court — of a king
  15. cold — an illness
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. current — happening now
  18. current — electric
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. cold — not warm
  23. court — for sport
  24. hide — to keep secret

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