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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 116 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: lean · root · rash · rock · shower · cell · lash · drill

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. shower — rain
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. drill — a practice
  7. root — of a word
  8. root — the cause
  9. shower — to wash
  10. rash — a series
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lean — thin
  13. rock — music
  14. drill — army training
  15. rash — hasty
  16. lean — to bend
  17. cell — a phone
  18. drill — the tool
  19. rock — a stone
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. root — of a plant
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rash — on the skin

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