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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 120 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
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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: bulb · rest · pound · degree · coach · rush · arm · object

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. degree — an amount
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. object — a thing
  8. rest — what's left
  9. degree — temperature
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. degree — from a university
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. pound — a weight
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. object — to protest
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. object — an aim
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rest — a break
  21. rush — hurry
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. coach — a trainer

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