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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 · stand · ruler · bear · temple · last · wound · arm

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bear — the animal
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. wound — an injury
  7. stand — to bear
  8. root — of a plant
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wound — an injury
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. last — final
  14. last — to go on
  15. root — the cause
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. last — finally
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. root — of a word
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — side of the head

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