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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: race · stand · lean · ball · temple · tear · wave · rash

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. rash — a series
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. race — a contest
  9. ball — a dance
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ball — a great time
  12. race — the arms race
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. race — humankind
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. lean — thin
  20. lean — to bend
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — from crying
  23. stand — to bear
  24. temple — side of the head

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