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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. race — humankind
  3. race — the arms race
  4. face — to confront
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. race — a contest
  7. stand — to bear
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. cap — of ice
  10. tear — from crying
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. cap — a hat
  15. snap — to click
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. tear — from crying
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. tear — to rip
  21. face — to point toward
  22. face — part of the head
  23. cap — a lid
  24. stand — on your feet

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