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

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. lean — to bend
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. squash — the sport
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. root — of a word
  7. stem — to come from
  8. root — the cause
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lean — thin
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. foot — a measure
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. squash — to crush
  18. root — of a plant

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