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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: squash · root · tear · face · kick · fan · ground · key

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. face — to confront
  3. root — of a plant
  4. root — the cause
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. root — of a word
  7. ground — a position
  8. key — for a lock
  9. tear — from crying
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. tear — to rip
  12. squash — to crush
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. key — in music
  16. squash — the sport
  17. face — part of the head
  18. ground — the earth
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. tear — from crying
  21. kick — in football
  22. face — to point toward
  23. key — the most important part
  24. ground — crushed

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