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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: kick · board · fall · file · mouse · arm · chip · temple

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. chip — to eat
  6. board — a committee
  7. fall — the season
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. file — a line of people
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. file — a tool
  13. fall — to drop
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. board — to get on
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. fall — to drop
  19. kick — in football
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. file — a document
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. arm — part of the body

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