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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.

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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. file — a line of people
  5. root — of a word
  6. rock — music
  7. squash — to crush
  8. season — in sport
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. squash — the sport
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. rock — a stone
  14. root — the cause
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. dip — to sink
  18. root — of a plant
  19. prune — to trim
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. file — a tool
  22. season — of the year
  23. file — a document
  24. rock — to move gently

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