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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: band · race · root · rash · lash · rush · foot · ruler

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. root — of a word
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. race — a contest
  5. rash — a series
  6. race — the arms race
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. rash — hasty
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. band — a music group
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. race — humankind
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. foot — a measure
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. root — the cause
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. rush — hurry
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. root — of a plant
  24. band — a ring

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