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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 120 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. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. last — to go on
  7. track — a song
  8. mug — a face
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. board — to get on
  12. capital — money
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. capital — a city
  16. last — final
  17. mug — a cup
  18. last — finally
  19. board — a committee
  20. track — to keep track
  21. mug — to rob
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. track — a path

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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