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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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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 · row · press · root · fall · rash · bowl · content

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. press — to push
  3. content — happy
  4. root — the cause
  5. press — a publisher
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. root — of a plant
  8. row — a line
  9. press — newspapers
  10. fall — the season
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. content — the amount
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. fall — to drop
  17. root — of a word
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. lean — to bend
  20. row — to paddle
  21. rash — hasty
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. fall — to drop
  24. rash — a series

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