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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: toast · race · spring · cell · ruler · temple

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. spring — a coil
  6. race — humankind
  7. toast — bread
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. race — a contest
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. spring — the season
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. race — the arms race
  14. spring — of water
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. cell — a phone
  18. cell — in biology

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