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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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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: lean · hand · arm · coach · foot · temple · pitch · pound

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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. coach — pulled by horses
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. lean — thin
  9. hand — help
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. lean — to bend
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. foot — a measure
  14. hand — in cards
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. pound — a weight
  24. hand — part of the body

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