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

Word bank: foot · board · fan · temple · present · saw · content · cue

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. board — a committee
  3. foot — a measure
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. present — the time now
  7. content — the amount
  8. cue — a hint
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. cue — a signal
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. content — happy
  17. saw — the tool
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. present — there
  21. saw — the tool
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. present — a gift
  24. cue — for pool

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