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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. file — a document
  3. mug — a face
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. degree — an amount
  6. mug — to rob
  7. root — the cause
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. root — of a plant
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. cell — in biology
  12. degree — temperature
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. bank — for money
  15. mug — a cup
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. cell — a phone
  18. file — a line of people
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. file — a tool
  21. degree — from a university
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — of a river
  24. root — of a word

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