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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.

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: rock · root · lean · bass · staff · bulb · cold · wound

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. staff — a stick
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. root — of a plant
  6. staff — employees
  7. cold — an illness
  8. bass — low music
  9. lean — thin
  10. cold — not warm
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. rock — music
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. staff — employees
  15. root — the cause
  16. lean — to bend
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. rock — a stone
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. bulb — for light
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bass — the fish
  24. wound — an injury

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