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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 120 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 · rock · stem · rush · cap · mark · sharp · bear

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. cap — of ice
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. stem — to come from
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. deal — to handle
  9. mark — a trace
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. cap — a hat
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a grade
  14. rock — music
  15. sharp — clever
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. bear — the animal
  20. cap — a lid
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. bear — the animal

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