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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
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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 · mate · season · foot · hand · temple · ground · rule

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. season — in sport
  7. ground — crushed
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. mate — a partner
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. ground — the earth
  14. mate — a friend
  15. season — of the year
  16. hand — in cards
  17. foot — a measure
  18. mate — to breed
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. rule — a law
  21. hand — help
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. rule — government
  24. ground — a position

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