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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. lean — to bend
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. root — the cause
  5. stand — to bear
  6. object — a thing
  7. squash — to crush
  8. mug — to rob
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. field — a subject
  11. mug — a cup
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. root — of a word
  15. field — for sport
  16. object — to protest
  17. squash — the sport
  18. object — an aim
  19. lean — thin
  20. field — farmland
  21. root — of a plant
  22. mug — a face
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stand — on your feet

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