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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 120 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: pop · root · rush · foot · rash · clip · sharp · row

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pop — music
  4. row — a line
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. pop — soda
  7. rash — a series
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. root — of a word
  14. foot — a measure
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rash — hasty
  17. clip — to cut
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. clip — a video
  21. root — of a plant
  22. sharp — clever
  23. row — to paddle
  24. clip — for paper

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