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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.

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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. squash — to crush
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. press — a publisher
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. lie — to recline
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. bark — to shout
  12. roll — a list
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. press — newspapers
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. root — of a plant
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. squash — the sport
  21. root — the cause
  22. roll — a cake
  23. press — to push
  24. root — of a word

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