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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. chip — to eat
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. rush — hurry
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. fine — all right
  7. race — the arms race
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. chip — for betting
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. wind — moving air
  15. kick — in football
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. race — a contest
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. wind — moving air
  22. fine — high quality
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. race — humankind

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