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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. current — of water
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. mine — for digging
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. toast — bread
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. last — final
  13. last — to go on
  14. chip — to eat
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. chip — for betting
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. current — electric
  24. current — happening now

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