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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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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: deal · bark · arm · object · scale · last · fall · temple

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. deal — to handle
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. fall — the season
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. last — to go on
  7. bark — to shout
  8. object — a thing
  9. object — an aim
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. object — to protest
  17. last — final
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. scale — size or range
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. last — finally
  22. fall — to drop
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. scale — in music

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