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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 120 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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. race — a contest
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. tear — from crying
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. tear — to rip
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. race — the arms race
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. stem — to come from
  15. race — humankind
  16. tear — from crying
  17. pit — a hole
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. pit — in a race
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. lean — thin
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. lean — to bend

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