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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: plane · arm · file · bass · foot · hide · roll · temple

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. file — a document
  6. foot — a measure
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. roll — a cake
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. file — a tool
  11. roll — a list
  12. bass — the fish
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. plane — a tool
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bass — low music
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. file — a line of people

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