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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  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. net — in sport
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. foot — a measure
  8. rush — hurry
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. net — for catching
  14. root — of a plant
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. root — the cause
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. root — of a word
  19. net — after costs
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  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