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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rush · stem · temple · root · rash · row · cell · leaves

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. row — to paddle
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. root — of a word
  8. root — the cause
  9. rash — a series
  10. row — a line
  11. stem — to come from
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. cell — a phone
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. root — of a plant
  21. cell — in biology
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. rash — hasty

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