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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: sharp · lie · tube · root · calf · squash · game · straw

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. root — of a plant
  3. sharp — clever
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. root — the cause
  6. squash — the sport
  7. squash — to crush
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. lie — to recline
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. game — wild animals
  15. root — of a word
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. tube — a container
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. tube — the underground
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. game — a match
  24. lie — an untruth

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