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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. rock — music
  3. game — a match
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. foot — a measure
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. root — the cause
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. roll — a cake
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. rock — a stone
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. root — of a word
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. roll — a list
  18. game — wild animals
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. root — of a plant
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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