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

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. field — farmland
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. spell — a short time
  7. clip — for paper
  8. spell — magic
  9. object — a thing
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. cue — a hint
  12. clip — to cut
  13. field — for sport
  14. object — an aim
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. fork — in a road
  17. cue — a signal
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. field — a subject
  20. cue — for pool
  21. clip — a video
  22. object — to protest
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. spell — letters

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