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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. roll — a cake
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. root — of a word
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. date — the fruit
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lean — to bend
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. chip — to eat
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. root — of a plant
  19. lean — thin
  20. root — the cause
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. roll — a list
  24. chip — for betting

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