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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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Word bank
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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: mate · race · face · saw · current · racket · wound · temple

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. mate — a friend
  3. wound — an injury
  4. mate — a partner
  5. current — of water
  6. saw — the tool
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. mate — to breed
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. wound — an injury
  13. face — part of the head
  14. face — to point toward
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — electric
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. face — to confront
  19. race — humankind
  20. race — the arms race
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. race — a contest

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