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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: lean · row · bulb · bore · mug · squash · root · fan

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. squash — to crush
  3. bore — to drill
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. squash — the sport
  7. lean — to bend
  8. mug — a face
  9. mug — a cup
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. mug — to rob
  12. root — the cause
  13. bulb — for light
  14. row — a line
  15. root — of a word
  16. row — to paddle
  17. bore — to tire
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. root — of a plant
  24. fan — a supporter

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