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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.

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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: row · rash · cap · mark · rush · drill · bear · stem

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. drill — the tool
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mark — a grade
  5. stem — to come from
  6. cap — a lid
  7. mark — a trace
  8. cap — of ice
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. drill — a practice
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. row — to paddle
  14. cap — a hat
  15. rash — hasty
  16. drill — army training
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. bear — the animal
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. bear — the animal
  21. row — a line
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rash — a series
  24. rush — to 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