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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. rest — what's left
  3. chip — to eat
  4. roll — a list
  5. rest — a break
  6. roll — a cake
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. march — the month
  10. march — music
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. fine — high quality
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. chip — for betting
  18. fine — all right
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. rest — what's left
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. temple — side of the head

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