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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: rush · deal · shower · ruler · root · stem · mark · kick

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. shower — to wash
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stem — to come from
  9. root — of a word
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. root — the cause
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. kick — in football
  16. mark — a trace
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. shower — rain
  21. deal — to handle
  22. root — of a plant
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. kick — a thrill

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