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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ball · cabinet · temple · pit · last · arm · branch · squash

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. branch — a division
  3. squash — the sport
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. ball — a dance
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. squash — to crush
  10. last — final
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. ball — a great time
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pit — in a race
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. last — to go on
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. last — finally
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. pit — a hole
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — side of the head

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