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

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. staff — a stick
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. perch — the fish
  5. ball — a dance
  6. spell — magic
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a trace
  11. cell — a phone
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. cell — in biology
  14. ball — a great time
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. mark — a grade
  17. staff — employees
  18. spell — letters
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. spell — a short time
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. staff — employees
  24. arm — part of the body

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