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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: bound · rest · date · ground · foot · roll · ruler · rash

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. roll — a cake
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. roll — a list
  6. rest — a break
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. bound — certain
  13. rest — what's left
  14. ground — a position
  15. bound — obliged
  16. date — the fruit
  17. bound — tied together
  18. ground — crushed
  19. foot — a measure
  20. rash — a series
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. rest — what's left
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. roll — on a roll

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