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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
468
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: temple · foot · arm · wake · hand · hide · clip · bass

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. foot — a measure
  8. clip — to cut
  9. bass — low music
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. clip — for paper
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. bass — the fish
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. clip — a video
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. wake — a trail
  24. hand — in cards

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