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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: staff · pit · arm · coach · temple · face · last · pound

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. pound — a weight
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. face — to confront
  7. staff — employees
  8. last — to go on
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. face — part of the head
  19. staff — employees
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. staff — a stick
  22. last — finally
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. last — final

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