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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: arm · current · pitch · hand · kick · temple · march · wax

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. pitch — completely
  6. march — the month
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. current — of water
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. hand — in cards
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. march — music
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. current — happening now
  20. hand — help
  21. wax — to grow
  22. kick — in football
  23. march — the month
  24. arm — part of the body

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