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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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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: rest · root · date · suit · shower · game · temple · arm

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — a break
  4. shower — rain
  5. suit — to fit
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. suit — clothes
  8. date — the fruit
  9. rest — what's left
  10. suit — in cards
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. shower — to wash
  13. game — a match
  14. root — of a plant
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. game — wild animals
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. root — the cause
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. root — of a word

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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