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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.

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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: spell · temple · root · arm · rush · bound · deal · firm

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bound — obliged
  5. root — of a plant
  6. firm — a company
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. bound — certain
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. spell — a short time
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. root — the cause
  14. deal — to handle
  15. bound — tied together
  16. rush — hurry
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. spell — magic
  19. firm — steady
  20. firm — decided
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. spell — letters
  23. root — of a word
  24. deal — an agreement

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