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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. root — of a plant
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. file — a document
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. file — a tool
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. foot — a measure
  11. firm — decided
  12. firm — a company
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. bass — the fish
  15. mine — for digging
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. board — a committee
  18. root — the cause
  19. file — a line of people
  20. bass — low music
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. firm — steady
  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