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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.

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: foot · patient · board · temple · fan · root · land · mouse

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. board — a committee
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. root — of a word
  7. land — to come down
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. land — a country
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. land — ground
  17. root — of a plant
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. foot — a measure
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. root — the cause
  24. board — to get on

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