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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 116 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: bass · calf · squash · board · rash · stem · sharp · root

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. stem — to come from
  3. squash — to crush
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. rash — hasty
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. rash — a series
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. sharp — clever
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. root — of a word
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bass — low music
  19. root — of a plant
  20. bass — the fish
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. board — to get on
  23. root — the cause
  24. squash — the sport

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