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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: wave · arm · temple · band · rash · mark · race · wake

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. mark — a trace
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wake — a trail
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. race — the arms race
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. band — a ring
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. mark — a grade
  16. band — a music group
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. race — humankind
  21. race — a contest
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. rash — a series

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