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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. chest — of your body
  4. pop — soda
  5. wind — moving air
  6. foot — a measure
  7. board — a committee
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. wind — moving air
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. chest — a box
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. pop — music
  15. degree — from a university
  16. present — there
  17. board — to get on
  18. degree — an amount
  19. present — a gift
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. pop — to visit
  22. degree — temperature
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. chest — of your body

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