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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: arm · bear · rush · board · last · root · mug · ruler

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. board — a committee
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — hurry
  6. mug — a cup
  7. bear — the animal
  8. last — final
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. root — the cause
  13. mug — a face
  14. root — of a plant
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. board — to get on
  18. root — of a word
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. last — finally
  21. bear — the animal
  22. last — to go on
  23. mug — to rob
  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