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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rule · rest · last · race · temple · foot

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. last — final
  3. race — humankind
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. rest — what's left
  6. race — the arms race
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. last — finally
  9. rule — government
  10. last — to go on
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rule — a law
  13. rest — a break
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. foot — a measure

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