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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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 hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. foot — a measure
  3. chip — for betting
  4. root — of a plant
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. cell — a phone
  7. root — the cause
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. root — of a word
  11. hand — help
  12. row — to paddle
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. row — a line
  18. chip — to eat
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. cell — in biology
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. hand — in cards
  24. foot — the bottom

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