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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. land — ground
  6. mark — a trace
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. land — a country
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. pop — soda
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. deal — to handle
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. foot — a measure
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. mark — a grade
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. land — to come down
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. pop — music
  24. pop — to visit

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