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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. root — the cause
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. root — of a word
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bass — low music
  9. chest — a box
  10. chest — of your body
  11. root — of a plant
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. chest — of your body
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. bass — the fish
  22. kick — in football
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. patient — a sick person

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