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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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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 · rest · temple · current · bark · pitch · snap · face

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bark — to shout
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. current — happening now
  8. snap — to click
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. pitch — completely
  11. rest — a break
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. face — to confront
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. current — of water
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. rest — what's left
  20. face — part of the head
  21. current — electric
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. face — to point toward
  24. temple — a place of worship

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