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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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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: foot · fork · ruler · row · root · squash · lash · lean

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. fork — in a road
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. squash — to crush
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. root — of a plant
  12. squash — the sport
  13. row — to paddle
  14. row — a line
  15. foot — a measure
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. lean — to bend
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. lean — thin
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. root — of a word
  22. root — the cause
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. lean — to rest against

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