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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: arm · patient · bat · scale · fall · temple · date · bound

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. bound — obliged
  3. scale — in music
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bound — certain
  11. scale — size or range
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bound — tied together
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. fall — the season
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — to drop
  23. date — the fruit
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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