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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. chest — of your body
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. mug — a cup
  6. fork — in a road
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. mug — to rob
  9. chest — a box
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. root — of a word
  14. row — a line
  15. chest — of your body
  16. row — to paddle
  17. squash — to crush
  18. root — the cause
  19. root — of a plant
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. mug — a face
  24. squash — the sport

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