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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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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 · lean · root · hide · trunk · tear · mouse · vault

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. squash — the sport
  3. lean — to bend
  4. tear — to rip
  5. tear — from crying
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. squash — to crush
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. vault — a safe
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. root — of a plant
  14. root — the cause
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. lean — thin
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. root — of a word
  23. tear — from crying
  24. mouse — for a computer

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