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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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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: root · rush · chest · dip · band · ground · ruler · rest

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. rest — a break
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. rest — what's left
  5. root — of a word
  6. band — a ring
  7. ground — crushed
  8. chest — of your body
  9. dip — to sink
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. chest — of your body
  12. root — the cause
  13. band — a music group
  14. chest — a box
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. ground — a position
  17. root — of a plant
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. rest — what's left
  22. ground — the earth
  23. rush — hurry
  24. band — a rubber band

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