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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: cell · rush · temple · bore · jam · net · arm · stick

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. net — in sport
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — hurry
  7. net — for catching
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. cell — in biology
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. cell — a phone
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. net — after costs
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bore — to tire
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. bore — to drill
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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