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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stand · squash · fork · bulb · root · swing · lie · lean

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. root — of a plant
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. swing — music
  5. bulb — for light
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. swing — in golf
  13. swing — to play on
  14. fork — in a road
  15. root — the cause
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. bulb — for light
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. squash — to crush
  20. squash — the sport
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lean — thin

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