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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: foot · mug · squash · saw · chest · last · bound · root

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. saw — the tool
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. squash — the sport
  7. mug — a cup
  8. bound — certain
  9. last — final
  10. root — of a plant
  11. last — finally
  12. root — of a word
  13. chest — of your body
  14. squash — to crush
  15. bound — tied together
  16. chest — a box
  17. bound — obliged
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. saw — the tool
  20. root — the cause
  21. mug — a face
  22. foot — a measure
  23. chest — of your body
  24. last — to go on

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