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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: chest · root · row · deal · squash · can · rush · cell

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. can — a tin
  5. row — a line
  6. can — to be able to
  7. cell — a phone
  8. root — the cause
  9. rush — hurry
  10. chest — of your body
  11. can — a tin
  12. row — to paddle
  13. squash — the sport
  14. chest — a box
  15. root — of a plant
  16. deal — to handle
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cell — in biology
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. chest — of your body
  21. root — of a word
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. squash — to crush

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