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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. rash — a series
  4. file — a document
  5. file — a tool
  6. club — a group
  7. file — a line of people
  8. club — for golf
  9. last — finally
  10. snap — to click
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. race — a contest
  13. last — final
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. race — the arms race
  17. rash — hasty
  18. club — for dancing
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. last — to go on
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. patient — a sick person

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