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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: bat · face · roll · root · bulb · craft · saw · squash

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. face — to confront
  3. root — of a word
  4. root — the cause
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. squash — the sport
  12. face — to point toward
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. face — part of the head
  15. roll — a cake
  16. craft — boats
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. roll — a list
  20. saw — the tool
  21. root — of a plant
  22. craft — a skill
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bulb — for light

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