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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.

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: foot · mine · leaves · temple · fine · arm · firm · wound

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. firm — a company
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. mine — for digging
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. wound — an injury
  8. firm — decided
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. fine — all right
  11. firm — steady
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. fine — high quality
  19. foot — a measure
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. leaves — lets stay

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