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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.

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: rest · roll · land · degree · present · temple · rush · arm

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. roll — a list
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. degree — an amount
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rest — what's left
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. degree — temperature
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. present — the time now
  13. rush — hurry
  14. degree — from a university
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. rest — what's left
  17. roll — a cake
  18. present — there
  19. rest — a break
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. land — to come down
  22. land — ground
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. present — a gift

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