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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: dip · rush · rash · root · stem · net · shower · wake

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. root — of a word
  4. root — of a plant
  5. stem — to come from
  6. shower — rain
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. net — in sport
  11. rash — hasty
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — for catching
  14. rash — a series
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. wake — a trail
  21. root — the cause
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. shower — to wash
  24. dip — a sauce

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