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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 116 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
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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: squash · pitcher · staff · spell · rash · saw · sharp · root

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. sharp — clever
  5. root — of a plant
  6. root — of a word
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. rash — hasty
  9. saw — the tool
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. root — the cause
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. rash — a series
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. staff — employees
  16. spell — magic
  17. squash — the sport
  18. spell — a short time
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. staff — a stick
  21. saw — the tool
  22. staff — employees
  23. spell — letters
  24. sharp — exactly

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