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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. root — of a plant
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. cap — a hat
  6. root — the cause
  7. foot — a measure
  8. cap — of ice
  9. squash — to crush
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. lie — to recline
  12. saw — the tool
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. degree — temperature
  15. press — newspapers
  16. press — a publisher
  17. degree — an amount
  18. press — to push
  19. root — of a word
  20. cap — a lid
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. squash — the sport
  23. saw — the tool
  24. degree — from a university

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