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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. root — of a plant
  3. tear — from crying
  4. squash — to crush
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. squash — the sport
  7. cap — of ice
  8. tear — from crying
  9. lie — to recline
  10. cap — a hat
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pop — soda
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. pop — to visit
  17. root — of a word
  18. tear — to rip
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. cap — a lid
  21. pop — music
  22. pitch — completely
  23. root — the cause
  24. squash — the vegetable

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