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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: tear · temple · ball · game · race · mate · lash · roll

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. race — a contest
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. roll — a list
  5. mate — a friend
  6. race — the arms race
  7. tear — from crying
  8. roll — a cake
  9. race — humankind
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. tear — to rip
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. ball — a great time
  17. mate — to breed
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. mate — a partner
  20. game — a match
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. ball — a dance
  24. game — wild animals

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