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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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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 · temple · lean · pop · band · foot · kid · wake

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. 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 — a part of something
  2. pop — to visit
  3. lean — to bend
  4. pop — music
  5. kid — to tease
  6. foot — a measure
  7. wake — a trail
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. band — a ring
  13. pop — soda
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. band — a music group
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. lean — thin
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. kid — child
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. 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