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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.

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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 · wind · rash · pass · pit · squash · race · stem

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. squash — the sport
  6. stem — to come from
  7. rash — hasty
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. race — the arms race
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. wind — moving air
  15. rash — a series
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. race — a contest
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. squash — to crush
  20. root — the cause
  21. race — humankind
  22. pit — a hole
  23. root — of a word
  24. root — of a plant

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