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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. race — a contest
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. tube — the underground
  6. race — the arms race
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. mate — to breed
  9. tube — a container
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. wind — moving air
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. race — humankind
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. mate — a friend
  17. band — a music group
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. wind — moving air
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. band — a ring
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. mate — a partner

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