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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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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 · chip · lie · press · perch · cap · squash · mine

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. cap — a hat
  3. root — of a plant
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. root — the cause
  6. chip — for betting
  7. cap — of ice
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. squash — to crush
  10. root — of a word
  11. cap — a lid
  12. chip — to eat
  13. press — newspapers
  14. press — to push
  15. squash — the sport
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — to recline
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. press — a publisher
  23. mine — for digging
  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