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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 120 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: stand · rash · root · arm · rush · last · fork · degree

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. root — of a word
  5. rush — hurry
  6. last — to go on
  7. last — finally
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. degree — temperature
  10. root — the cause
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. stand — to bear
  13. fork — in a road
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. degree — from a university
  16. rash — hasty
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. last — final
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. rash — a series
  22. degree — an amount
  23. root — of a plant
  24. rush — a thrill

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