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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. root — of a plant
  4. suit — clothes
  5. root — of a word
  6. hand — help
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. field — for sport
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. hand — in cards
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. field — a subject
  19. root — the cause
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. field — farmland
  22. suit — to fit
  23. squash — to crush
  24. squash — the sport

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