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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: saw · arm · wound · season · club · fork · temple · can

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. can — a tin
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. can — to be able to
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. wound — an injury
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. fork — in a road
  16. saw — the tool
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. club — for golf
  19. season — in sport
  20. can — a tin
  21. club — for dancing
  22. season — of the year
  23. wound — an injury
  24. fork — to eat with

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