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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: bear · root · pound · lean · cold · hide · fan · current

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. current — electric
  5. bear — the animal
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. current — happening now
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. lean — thin
  12. current — of water
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. cold — an illness
  15. root — of a word
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. cold — not warm
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. root — the cause
  21. root — of a plant
  22. lean — to bend
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pound — for dogs

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