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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.

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: root · bulb · wind · rash · bear · row · lean · pop

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. rash — a series
  5. root — of a plant
  6. pop — soda
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. wind — moving air
  14. pop — music
  15. pop — to visit
  16. lean — to bend
  17. root — the cause
  18. row — a line
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. rash — hasty
  23. root — of a word
  24. row — to paddle

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