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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. root — of a word
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. rash — hasty
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. squash — the sport
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. bass — low music
  9. lean — to bend
  10. row — to paddle
  11. cue — a signal
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. row — a line
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. squash — to crush
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bass — the fish
  18. lean — thin
  19. rash — a series
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cue — a hint
  23. root — of a plant
  24. lean — to rest against

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