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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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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: wave · bore · cue · last · bowl · ground · race · temple

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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 — the arms race
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. race — a contest
  5. cue — a hint
  6. ground — a position
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. cue — for pool
  12. last — finally
  13. ground — crushed
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bore — to drill
  16. last — to go on
  17. bore — to tire
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. last — final
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. race — humankind
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. cue — a signal
  24. ground — the earth

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