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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: sharp · row · dip · rule · squash · stem · root · rush

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  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. squash — to crush
  2. squash — the sport
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. root — the cause
  6. root — of a word
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. rule — government
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rule — a law
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. stem — to come from
  18. row — to paddle
  19. row — a line
  20. sharp — clever
  21. rush — hurry
  22. dip — to sink
  23. root — of a plant
  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