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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · capital · tube · row · mark · root · rule

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. capital — money
  5. row — to paddle
  6. lean — thin
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. tube — a container
  11. tube — the underground
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. capital — a city
  15. root — of a plant
  16. rule — a law
  17. rule — government
  18. mark — a trace
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. row — a line
  22. lean — to bend
  23. root — of a word
  24. lean — to rest against

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