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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. key — the most important part
  3. race — the arms race
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. toast — bread
  7. suit — to fit
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. race — humankind
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. race — a contest
  14. suit — clothes
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. key — in music
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. key — for a lock
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. suit — in cards
  24. bark — to shout

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