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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: arm · foot · bass · last · root · rush · firm · tear

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. root — of a word
  3. firm — decided
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. bass — the fish
  6. root — of a plant
  7. tear — to rip
  8. firm — steady
  9. foot — a measure
  10. firm — a company
  11. rush — hurry
  12. last — to go on
  13. tear — from crying
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. root — the cause
  18. last — finally
  19. bass — low music
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. last — final
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. rush — a thrill

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