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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: kick · jam · net · tear · arm · temple · firm · chair

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. chair — a leader
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. tear — from crying
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. firm — a company
  13. net — after costs
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. kick — in football
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. tear — from crying
  18. firm — decided
  19. net — in sport
  20. tear — to rip
  21. net — for catching
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. firm — steady
  24. chair — a professorship

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