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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. cap — a lid
  3. race — a contest
  4. cue — for pool
  5. file — a line of people
  6. cap — of ice
  7. bank — for money
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. foot — a measure
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. race — humankind
  13. file — a tool
  14. race — the arms race
  15. cap — a hat
  16. cue — a signal
  17. file — a document
  18. bank — of a river
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. cue — a hint
  21. lie — to recline
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. bank — for money

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