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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: mark · toast · trunk · temple · season · band · sharp · arm

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. sharp — clever
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. band — a music group
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. season — in sport
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. toast — bread
  11. mark — a grade
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. season — of the year
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. mark — a trace
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. band — a ring

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