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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. spring — of water
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. branch — a division
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. degree — from a university
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. degree — temperature
  18. spring — a coil
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. spring — the season
  23. degree — an amount
  24. calf — of the leg

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