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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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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 · suit · stand · temple · straw · spring · wave · board

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. foot — a measure
  6. board — a committee
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. board — to get on
  13. spring — a coil
  14. suit — in cards
  15. spring — the season
  16. spring — of water
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. suit — to fit
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. suit — clothes

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