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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 · saw · root · dip · lean · cap · rule · roll

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  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 vegetable
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. root — of a word
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. lean — thin
  6. lean — to bend
  7. squash — the sport
  8. roll — a cake
  9. root — the cause
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. cap — a hat
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. rule — a law
  16. cap — of ice
  17. dip — to sink
  18. roll — a list
  19. saw — the tool
  20. rule — government
  21. squash — to crush
  22. saw — the tool
  23. cap — a lid
  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