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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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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: ruler · wind · lean · root · pound · rush · present · racket

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. lean — to bend
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. root — the cause
  6. present — there
  7. lean — thin
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. root — of a word
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. wind — moving air
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. present — a gift
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. rush — hurry
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. pound — a weight
  22. root — of a plant
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — to turn a key

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