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

Word bank: mate · tear · race · current · mark · temple · mouse · leaves

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. tear — to rip
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. mark — a trace
  7. race — a contest
  8. current — of water
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. race — the arms race
  11. current — electric
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mate — a partner
  16. race — humankind
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. current — happening now
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. tear — from crying
  21. mate — a friend
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. tear — from crying
  24. temple — a place of worship

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