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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.

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: temple · key · cap · object · arm · current · lean · game

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. object — to protest
  3. current — electric
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. game — wild animals
  11. lean — to bend
  12. current — of water
  13. key — the most important part
  14. cap — of ice
  15. key — for a lock
  16. game — a match
  17. key — in music
  18. cap — a lid
  19. current — happening now
  20. cap — a hat
  21. object — a thing
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. lean — thin
  24. object — an aim

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