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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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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: jam · root · rule · rush · stem · wound · firm · cold

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. root — of a plant
  3. stem — to come from
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. rush — hurry
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rule — a law
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. firm — steady
  12. cold — not warm
  13. root — of a word
  14. cold — an illness
  15. firm — decided
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. firm — a company
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. rule — government
  20. root — the cause
  21. wound — an injury
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. wound — an injury
  24. jam — in traffic

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