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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 · rest · wind · firm · temple · mate · key · lash

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. mate — a partner
  3. race — a contest
  4. firm — decided
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. mate — to breed
  7. key — in music
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. wind — moving air
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. key — for a lock
  13. firm — steady
  14. mate — a friend
  15. race — humankind
  16. firm — a company
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. race — the arms race
  20. rest — what's left
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. wind — moving air
  23. key — the most important part
  24. rest — a break

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