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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
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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: temple · arm · pit · rock · foot · wound · land · scale

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. pit — in a race
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. land — a country
  10. rock — a stone
  11. pit — a hole
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. scale — in music
  14. foot — a measure
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. wound — an injury
  17. scale — size or range
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. land — ground
  21. wound — an injury
  22. land — to come down
  23. rock — music
  24. temple — a place of worship

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