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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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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: cap · arm · safe · bat · shower · ruler · temple · lie

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. cap — a lid
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. cap — a hat
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. cap — of ice
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. shower — to wash
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bat — the animal
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. shower — rain
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. lie — to recline
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. ruler — for measuring

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