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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
468
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 · root · degree · rush · drill · mouse · spring · bear

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. drill — a practice
  3. bear — the animal
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a plant
  8. drill — army training
  9. degree — temperature
  10. degree — an amount
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. root — of a word
  14. spring — the season
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. spring — a coil
  19. drill — the tool
  20. bear — the animal
  21. degree — from a university
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. spring — of water

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