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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stick · cap · arm · wound · toast · temple

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. cap — of ice
  6. toast — bread
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. wound — an injury
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cap — a hat
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. wound — an injury
  18. arm — part of the body

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