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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: fall · object · root · last · tube · rash · sharp · ball

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — the season
  4. object — an aim
  5. root — of a plant
  6. root — the cause
  7. tube — the underground
  8. object — a thing
  9. root — of a word
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. rash — a series
  14. fall — to drop
  15. ball — a great time
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. sharp — clever
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. last — to go on
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. last — finally
  22. last — final
  23. tube — a container
  24. object — to protest

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