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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.

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: lean · bear · current · stem · fan · scale · row · pop

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. current — happening now
  4. scale — in music
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. bear — the animal
  7. row — to paddle
  8. stem — to come from
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. current — of water
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. pop — soda
  16. pop — music
  17. lean — to bend
  18. row — a line
  19. bear — the animal
  20. lean — thin
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. scale — size or range
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. current — electric

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