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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. wound — an injury
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. root — of a word
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. wound — an injury
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. root — of a plant
  22. vault — a safe
  23. foot — a measure
  24. root — the cause

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