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

Word bank: suit · swing · root · temple · fine · wave · rest · foot

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fine — all right
  3. root — of a word
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — what's left
  9. suit — in cards
  10. suit — clothes
  11. swing — in golf
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. swing — to play on
  14. rest — a break
  15. root — the cause
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. foot — a measure
  18. suit — to fit
  19. swing — music
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. root — of a plant
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. fine — high quality

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