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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: root · tube · rush · rock · rule · wind · can · hand

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. tube — the underground
  3. tube — a container
  4. root — of a word
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rock — music
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. wind — moving air
  16. rule — a law
  17. root — the cause
  18. root — of a plant
  19. can — a tin
  20. hand — help
  21. rock — a stone
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. rule — government
  24. wind — moving air

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