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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
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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: rash · shower · rule · lash · root · wake · game · perch

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  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. wake — a trail
  3. root — the cause
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. root — of a word
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. rule — government
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. game — a match
  12. rash — a series
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. perch — the fish
  15. game — wild animals
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. shower — to wash
  19. root — of a plant
  20. shower — rain
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. lash — to lash out
  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