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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. race — the arms race
  6. race — a contest
  7. cell — a phone
  8. toast — bread
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. season — of the year
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. season — in sport
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. race — humankind
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. cell — in biology
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. nail — for a hammer

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