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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. net — in sport
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. march — the month
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. cue — a signal
  7. march — the month
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. cue — a hint
  12. cue — for pool
  13. pit — a hole
  14. mate — a friend
  15. net — after costs
  16. pit — in a race
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mate — to breed
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. net — for catching
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. march — music
  24. plane — a tool

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