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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. chip — for betting
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. stem — to come from
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. chip — to eat
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. wake — a trail
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. mate — a friend
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. mate — to breed
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. mate — a partner
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. temple — side of the head

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