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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 · kick · rule · roll · temple · date · rush · pit

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. pit — a hole
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rush — hurry
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pit — in a race
  13. roll — a cake
  14. kick — in football
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rule — a law
  21. date — the fruit
  22. roll — a list
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. rule — government

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