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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.

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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: land · last · race · ruler · rush · fork · rest · foot

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — what's left
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. land — a country
  5. last — final
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. race — a contest
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. race — humankind
  13. foot — a measure
  14. race — the arms race
  15. rush — hurry
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. fork — in a road
  19. land — ground
  20. last — finally
  21. last — to go on
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. rest — a break
  24. land — to come down

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