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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. land — a country
  8. craft — a skill
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. vault — a safe
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. game — a match
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. land — to come down
  19. game — wild animals
  20. kick — in football
  21. craft — boats
  22. perch — the fish
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. temple — a place of worship

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