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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: arm · bound · ground · mark · mine · temple · suit · fan

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. ground — the earth
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. ground — crushed
  5. suit — in cards
  6. bound — certain
  7. suit — clothes
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. bound — tied together
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. ground — a position
  17. bound — obliged
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. mark — a trace
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. suit — to fit
  23. mine — for digging
  24. fan — to cool the air

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