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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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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: chest · tube · wake · pound · stand · rush · root · ruler

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. stand — to bear
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. tube — the underground
  11. chest — of your body
  12. rush — hurry
  13. wake — a trail
  14. root — of a word
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. chest — a box
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. pound — a weight
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. root — of a plant
  23. chest — of your body
  24. tube — a container

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