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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: wind · race · temple · foot · staff · wave

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. staff — employees
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. wind — moving air
  7. race — humankind
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. race — the arms race
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. staff — employees
  12. wind — moving air
  13. foot — a measure
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. staff — a stick
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. wave — of the sea

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