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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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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 · wave · bark · rock · chip · mate · field · temple

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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. temple — a place of worship
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. mate — a partner
  9. rock — music
  10. mate — a friend
  11. chip — for betting
  12. rock — a stone
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. bark — to shout
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. field — farmland
  18. field — for sport
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. chip — to eat
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. mate — to breed

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