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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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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: perch · nail · cell · row · suit · arm · temple · root

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. perch — the fish
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. cell — in biology
  8. suit — in cards
  9. root — of a plant
  10. cell — a phone
  11. suit — clothes
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. row — to paddle
  14. root — the cause
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. suit — to fit
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. root — of a word
  24. row — a line

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