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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.

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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: rock · deal · root · content · wax · lean · bat · bear

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. root — the cause
  3. root — of a plant
  4. bat — the animal
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. root — of a word
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. rock — music
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. bear — the animal
  18. wax — to grow
  19. content — happy
  20. deal — to handle
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. lean — thin
  23. content — the amount
  24. lean — to bend

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