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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: lie · race · temple · mark · lash · bank · chest · racket

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bank — for money
  3. chest — of your body
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. race — humankind
  6. bank — for money
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. lie — to recline
  11. mark — a grade
  12. race — the arms race
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. mark — a trace
  15. bank — of a river
  16. race — a contest
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chest — a box
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. temple — side of the head

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