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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: lean · pop · hide · root · sharp · cell · degree · rock

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. lean — thin
  3. rock — a stone
  4. cell — in biology
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. cell — a phone
  7. lean — to bend
  8. degree — from a university
  9. rock — music
  10. root — the cause
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. pop — to visit
  13. root — of a word
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. pop — music
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. sharp — clever
  19. pop — soda
  20. degree — temperature
  21. degree — an amount
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. cell — in a prison

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