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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: deal · drill · object · sharp · root · stem · rash · cabinet

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. object — an aim
  3. sharp — clever
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. root — of a plant
  7. rash — a series
  8. root — of a word
  9. root — the cause
  10. drill — a practice
  11. object — a thing
  12. drill — the tool
  13. object — to protest
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. rash — hasty
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. drill — army training
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. stem — to come from
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. deal — to handle

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