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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.

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: root · hide · lean · degree · mine · mug · content · squash

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lean — thin
  3. degree — temperature
  4. root — of a word
  5. content — the amount
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — the cause
  8. degree — from a university
  9. squash — the sport
  10. mine — for digging
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. content — happy
  16. mug — a face
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. degree — an amount
  22. squash — to crush
  23. mug — to rob
  24. lean — to bend

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