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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.

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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: fork · arm · bulb · temple · bay · field · coach · rash

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. rash — a series
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. rash — hasty
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. field — for sport
  19. fork — in a road
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. field — farmland

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