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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 116 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: root · fork · rash · lean · rest · pop · swing · leaves

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. pop — soda
  4. swing — in golf
  5. pop — to visit
  6. rest — what's left
  7. swing — to play on
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. pop — music
  10. rest — a break
  11. lean — to bend
  12. root — of a word
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. rash — a series
  16. root — of a plant
  17. root — the cause
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. fork — in a road
  20. rest — what's left
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. swing — music
  24. lean — thin

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