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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · wind · ruler · dip · can · net · root · rush

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  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. rush — hurry
  2. root — of a plant
  3. wind — moving air
  4. net — after costs
  5. wind — moving air
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. can — a tin
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. root — the cause
  12. can — a tin
  13. net — for catching
  14. can — to be able to
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. dip — to sink
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. root — of a word
  22. net — in sport
  23. dip — to dunk
  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