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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: snap · mark · lie · squash · root · mug · current · cap

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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. root — of a word
  4. cap — a lid
  5. current — happening now
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. cap — of ice
  10. current — electric
  11. mug — to rob
  12. cap — a hat
  13. snap — to click
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. mug — a cup
  17. root — the cause
  18. root — of a plant
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mark — a grade
  21. current — of water
  22. mug — a face
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. squash — to crush

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