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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: cell · arm · capital · wound · temple · lean · bank · cue

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. cue — for pool
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bank — of a river
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. cue — a signal
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. cell — in biology
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. capital — money
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bank — for money
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. cue — a hint
  19. bank — for money
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. lean — thin
  22. capital — a city
  23. cell — a phone
  24. lean — to bend

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