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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.

Make a worksheet

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: march · wound · fan · root · rock · mouse · lean · present

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. present — a gift
  3. root — of a word
  4. root — of a plant
  5. march — the month
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. march — the month
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. march — music
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. present — the time now
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. lean — thin
  18. lean — to bend
  19. rock — a stone
  20. wound — an injury
  21. root — the cause
  22. wound — an injury
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. present — there

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