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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
468
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 · current · shower · board · kick · rash · scale

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. current — happening now
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. shower — to wash
  8. current — of water
  9. current — electric
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. board — a committee
  12. rash — a series
  13. rash — hasty
  14. shower — rain
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. scale — size or range
  20. scale — in music
  21. board — to get on
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. kick — in football

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