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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: temple · stem · staff · nail · wave · straw · race · pass

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. staff — employees
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. staff — employees
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. race — a contest
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. pass — a permit
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. stem — to come from
  20. race — humankind
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. race — the arms race
  23. staff — a stick
  24. nail — on a finger

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