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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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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: rule · root · arm · squash · safe · lash · rash · straw

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. squash — the sport
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. rule — government
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. rash — a series
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. root — of a word
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. root — the cause
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. squash — to crush
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. root — of a plant
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. rule — a law

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