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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. hand — help
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. date — the fruit
  9. row — to paddle
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. wax — to grow
  12. bound — obliged
  13. hand — in cards
  14. row — a line
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bound — certain
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. temple — a place of worship

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