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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: snap · hide · mark · hand · ground · temple · race · band

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. mark — a grade
  5. race — humankind
  6. race — the arms race
  7. hand — help
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mark — a trace
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. band — a ring
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. band — a music group
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. ground — crushed
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hand — in cards
  21. ground — a position
  22. snap — to click
  23. race — a contest
  24. hide — to keep secret

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