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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. craft — a skill
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. toast — bread
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — employees
  9. bound — certain
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — tied together
  13. march — music
  14. craft — boats
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. march — the month
  17. staff — a stick
  18. march — the month
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. drill — army training
  21. drill — a practice
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. drill — the 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