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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: temple · leaves · drill · fork · arm · deal · ground · bass

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. drill — a practice
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. bass — low music
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. ground — a position
  15. deal — to handle
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. ground — the earth
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bass — the fish
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. fork — in a road
  22. drill — army training
  23. drill — the tool
  24. ground — crushed

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