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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: pop · arm · temple · game · mine · foot · rest · safe

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. game — a match
  6. pop — soda
  7. game — wild animals
  8. rest — what's left
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. mine — for digging
  13. rest — what's left
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. foot — a measure
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. rest — a break
  21. pop — music
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. pop — to visit

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