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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 120 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: snap · rock · ground · lie · saw · lean · root · squash

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. ground — crushed
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. lie — to recline
  5. rock — music
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. rock — a stone
  10. ground — the earth
  11. root — of a plant
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lean — thin
  14. squash — the sport
  15. root — the cause
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. root — of a word
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. squash — to crush
  24. snap — to click

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