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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: field · game · toast · temple · arm · stand · fall · firm

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. field — a subject
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. game — a match
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. fall — to drop
  11. firm — a company
  12. field — farmland
  13. game — wild animals
  14. toast — bread
  15. firm — steady
  16. field — for sport
  17. fall — the season
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. firm — decided
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. stand — to bear
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. temple — a place of worship

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