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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 · dip · perch · spring · foot · temple · bank · cabinet

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. foot — a measure
  3. bank — for money
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. spring — of water
  6. dip — to sink
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. perch — the fish
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. spring — the season
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. bank — of a river
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. spring — a coil
  23. bank — for money
  24. dip — to dunk

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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