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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: mug · firm · stick · wake · wind · nail · temple · race

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. firm — a company
  6. mug — to rob
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. firm — decided
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. wind — moving air
  15. race — a contest
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. firm — steady
  18. race — humankind
  19. wind — moving air
  20. mug — a face
  21. race — the arms race
  22. mug — a cup
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. wake — a trail

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