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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rule · arm · temple · field · foot · season · band · object

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. season — in sport
  3. rule — government
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. band — a music group
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. foot — a measure
  8. band — a ring
  9. object — an aim
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. object — to protest
  12. rule — a law
  13. field — farmland
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. object — a thing
  20. field — for sport
  21. field — a subject
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. season — of the year
  24. season — to add flavour

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