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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: bass · hand · rush · cell · file · mark · hide · root

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. cell — a phone
  3. mark — a trace
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. file — a line of people
  6. root — of a word
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. file — a tool
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — low music
  12. root — the cause
  13. root — of a plant
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. hand — in cards
  17. rush — hurry
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hand — help
  21. mark — a grade
  22. file — a document
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. bass — the fish

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