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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 · stem · rock · chip · deal · temple · wind · lie

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  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. temple — a place of worship
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. race — humankind
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. race — a contest
  6. deal — to handle
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. rock — music
  10. lie — to recline
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chip — for betting
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. rock — a stone
  18. wind — moving air
  19. stem — to come from
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. race — the arms race
  23. wind — moving air
  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