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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. present — a gift
  3. board — to get on
  4. present — there
  5. root — of a word
  6. wake — a trail
  7. board — a committee
  8. spring — a coil
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. spring — the season
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. root — of a plant
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. present — the time now
  19. perch — the fish
  20. spring — of water
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. root — the cause
  24. arm — part of the body

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