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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. swing — to play on
  6. root — of a word
  7. board — to get on
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. mark — a grade
  13. root — of a plant
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mine — for digging
  16. root — the cause
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. board — a committee
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. foot — a measure
  22. swing — in golf
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. temple — a place of worship

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