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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.

Make a worksheet

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: patient · temple · pop · ground · foot · arm · plane · row

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. ground — a position
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. foot — a measure
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. pop — soda
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. plane — a tool
  16. row — a line
  17. ground — crushed
  18. pop — to visit
  19. row — to paddle
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. ground — the earth
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. arm — a part of something

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