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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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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. face — part of the head
  4. race — the arms race
  5. face — to point toward
  6. bound — tied together
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. spring — a coil
  12. hand — help
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bound — certain
  15. spring — of water
  16. race — humankind
  17. hand — in cards
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. bound — obliged
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. spring — the season
  23. race — a contest
  24. face — to confront

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