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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: race · plane · bound · temple · fork · kick · mate · tube

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. bound — certain
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. bound — obliged
  9. kick — in football
  10. fork — in a road
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. race — a contest
  13. mate — to breed
  14. race — the arms race
  15. bound — tied together
  16. race — humankind
  17. mate — a partner
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. tube — the underground
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. plane — a tool
  22. tube — a container
  23. kick — with a leg
  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