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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. drill — army training
  5. root — of a plant
  6. chip — to eat
  7. drill — the tool
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. mine — for digging
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. chip — for betting
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. root — the cause
  23. drill — a practice
  24. root — of a word

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