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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. chest — a box
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wound — an injury
  12. foot — a measure
  13. bass — low music
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. chest — of your body
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. wound — an injury
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. foot — the bottom

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