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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: last · arm · rule · temple · fork · bowl · bank · fall

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. fall — to drop
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. fork — in a road
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bank — for money
  12. rule — a law
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. last — finally
  15. rule — government
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. last — to go on
  18. fall — the season
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bank — for money
  23. fall — to drop
  24. last — final

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