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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hand · arm · trunk · temple · game · content · bass · rule

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  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. rule — a law
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. hand — help
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bass — the fish
  12. game — wild animals
  13. content — happy
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. game — a match
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. hand — in cards
  21. rule — government
  22. bass — low music
  23. content — the amount
  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