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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: fan · root · ground · press · straw · lie · hide · row

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  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. root — of a plant
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. row — a line
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. press — newspapers
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. ground — the earth
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. root — of a word
  13. press — a publisher
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. lie — to recline
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. press — to push
  18. ground — crushed
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. row — to paddle
  23. ground — a position
  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