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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 · wind · pop · pass · lie · rock · fork · dip

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. rock — music
  3. dip — to sink
  4. rock — a stone
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. wind — moving air
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. pop — soda
  9. root — of a plant
  10. root — of a word
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. root — the cause
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. fork — in a road
  18. pop — to visit
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wind — moving air
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. lie — to recline
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pop — music

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