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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 120 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: bass · leaves · fine · vault · arm · pop · cap · temple

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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. bass — low music
  4. pop — soda
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. fine — high quality
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cap — a hat
  14. cap — of ice
  15. pop — to visit
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. vault — a safe
  18. fine — all right
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. pop — music
  21. bass — the fish
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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