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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
468
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: fan · lean · kid · pop · root · march · sharp · ruler

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. root — of a word
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. march — the month
  6. kid — to tease
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. sharp — clever
  9. march — the month
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. pop — music
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. pop — to visit
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. march — music
  17. lean — thin
  18. lean — to bend
  19. pop — soda
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. root — of a plant
  23. root — the cause
  24. ruler — a monarch

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