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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lean · lie · press · root · rock · mug · squash · key

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lean — to bend
  4. mug — a face
  5. press — a publisher
  6. press — newspapers
  7. mug — a cup
  8. root — the cause
  9. lie — to recline
  10. squash — to crush
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. key — for a lock
  13. mug — to rob
  14. lean — thin
  15. key — the most important part
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. root — of a word
  18. press — to push
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rock — a stone
  22. key — in music
  23. rock — music
  24. root — of a plant

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