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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: racket · plane · mate · arm · temple · rash · race · rule

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. rule — government
  3. mate — a partner
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. mate — a friend
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. mate — to breed
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. rule — a law
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. race — the arms race
  13. race — humankind
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. plane — a tool
  18. race — a contest
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rash — a series
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rule — to rule out

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