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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 · squash · straw · can · cabinet · mug · lean · bowl

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. can — a tin
  3. lean — to bend
  4. root — the cause
  5. mug — a face
  6. mug — a cup
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. lean — thin
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. root — of a plant
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. can — to be able to
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. can — a tin
  19. squash — the sport
  20. squash — to crush
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. root — of a word

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