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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 120 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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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. scale — size or range
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. cold — not warm
  7. cold — an illness
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. dip — to sink
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. scale — in music
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. plane — a tool
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. safe — a strongbox

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