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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: arm · row · season · foot · fan · lie · temple · cold

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. row — to paddle
  4. season — in sport
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. foot — a measure
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. season — of the year
  13. cold — an illness
  14. row — a line
  15. cold — not warm
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. lie — to recline
  24. fan — a supporter

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