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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: rash · snap · chair · root · fall · rush · dip · calf

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. rash — a series
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. root — of a word
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. chair — a leader
  8. rash — hasty
  9. fall — to drop
  10. snap — to click
  11. fall — to drop
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. rush — hurry
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. fall — the season
  17. dip — to sink
  18. root — the cause
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. root — of a plant

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