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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. tear — from crying
  4. chest — of your body
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bulb — for light
  7. fork — in a road
  8. march — the month
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. march — music
  13. chest — of your body
  14. march — the month
  15. chest — a box
  16. tear — to rip
  17. bulb — for light
  18. track — to keep track
  19. track — a song
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. tear — from crying
  23. track — a path
  24. fork — to eat with

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