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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 cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. hand — in cards
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. prune — to trim
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. roll — a cake
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. spring — the season
  11. spring — of water
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. spring — a coil
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. board — a committee
  16. roll — a list
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. hand — help
  23. board — to get on
  24. foot — a measure

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