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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.

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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 · mark · root · lean · can · perch · mine · hand

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. squash — to crush
  3. perch — the fish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. root — of a plant
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. can — a tin
  8. root — the cause
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. mark — a grade
  12. hand — in cards
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. squash — the sport
  17. root — of a word
  18. lean — thin
  19. lean — to bend
  20. hand — help
  21. can — to be able to
  22. mine — for digging
  23. can — a tin
  24. mine — belonging to me

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