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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: foot · cold · band · can · root · rest · ruler · key

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. rest — a break
  5. cold — an illness
  6. root — the cause
  7. foot — a measure
  8. cold — not warm
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. key — in music
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. rest — what's left
  13. can — a tin
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. rest — what's left
  16. can — a tin
  17. root — of a word
  18. key — the most important part
  19. band — a ring
  20. root — of a plant
  21. key — for a lock
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. can — to be able to
  24. ruler — for measuring

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