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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: nail · craft · shower · rush · hand · stem · dip · root

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. root — of a word
  6. rush — hurry
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. craft — a skill
  10. craft — boats
  11. root — the cause
  12. hand — help
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. shower — rain
  15. shower — to wash
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. dip — to sink
  19. stem — to come from
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. hand — in cards
  24. stem — a stem cell

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