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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: net · game · lash · root · staff · temple · shower · swing

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. game — wild animals
  3. net — for catching
  4. root — of a plant
  5. swing — to play on
  6. staff — a stick
  7. swing — music
  8. swing — in golf
  9. shower — rain
  10. root — the cause
  11. game — a match
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. net — in sport
  14. shower — to wash
  15. root — of a word
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. staff — employees
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. staff — employees
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. temple — a place of worship

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