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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: fall · root · tube · bulb · rush · kick · field · squash

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. squash — the sport
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. fall — to drop
  5. root — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. field — a subject
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. fall — to drop
  10. field — for sport
  11. bulb — for light
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. root — of a word
  14. kick — in football
  15. tube — a container
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. tube — the underground
  19. field — farmland
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. squash — to crush
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. root — the cause
  24. rush — hurry

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