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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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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: foot · root · nail · mine · ruler · last · press · rule

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. last — to go on
  3. root — of a word
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. press — newspapers
  7. root — of a plant
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. last — final
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. mine — for digging
  12. press — to push
  13. foot — a measure
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. press — a publisher
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. rule — a law
  18. rule — government
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. root — the cause
  23. last — finally
  24. mine — an explosive

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