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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. race — humankind
  3. last — final
  4. last — finally
  5. chip — for betting
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. last — to go on
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a committee
  10. race — a contest
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. tear — from crying
  13. race — the arms race
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. tear — to rip
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. chip — to eat
  19. tear — from crying
  20. mark — a grade
  21. date — the fruit
  22. mark — a trace
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. board — a flat piece

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