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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.

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: rush · root · squash · leaves · bear · cell · drill · stock

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. root — of a plant
  3. root — the cause
  4. squash — to crush
  5. bear — the animal
  6. root — of a word
  7. drill — a practice
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. cell — a phone
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. cell — in biology
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. stock — goods
  17. drill — army training
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. drill — the tool
  23. rush — hurry
  24. stock — shares

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