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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. rush — hurry
  3. root — of a word
  4. lie — to recline
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. root — of a plant
  7. can — to be able to
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. squash — the sport
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. can — a tin
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. root — the cause
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. squash — to crush
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. can — a tin

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