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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: race · nail · mug · lie · temple · perch · racket · bowl

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. mug — a face
  4. race — humankind
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. race — a contest
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. race — the arms race
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. mug — a cup
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. mug — to rob
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. lie — to recline

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