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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.

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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 · charge · temple · foot · rest · last · key · club

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — what's left
  5. charge — a price
  6. foot — a measure
  7. key — in music
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. last — final
  10. club — a group
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. club — for golf
  14. charge — electricity
  15. key — the most important part
  16. last — to go on
  17. charge — in control
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. key — for a lock
  21. rest — a break
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. club — for dancing
  24. last — finally

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