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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 116 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 · face · root · swing · bulb · hide · bore · stock

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. squash — the sport
  5. face — part of the head
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. stock — shares
  9. face — to point toward
  10. bulb — for light
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. swing — to play on
  13. stock — goods
  14. squash — to crush
  15. bore — to drill
  16. root — of a plant
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. swing — in golf
  19. root — of a word
  20. bulb — for light
  21. face — to confront
  22. swing — music
  23. bore — to tire
  24. root — the cause

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