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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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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 had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. board — a committee
  4. chip — to eat
  5. row — a line
  6. rash — hasty
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. board — to get on
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. root — of a plant
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. rash — a series
  15. root — the cause
  16. root — of a word
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. chip — for betting
  19. spring — the season
  20. spring — a coil
  21. spring — of water
  22. row — to paddle
  23. arm — part of the body
  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