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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: hide · lean · last · firm · temple · race · pitcher · pitch

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. last — to go on
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. last — finally
  6. race — humankind
  7. race — the arms race
  8. last — final
  9. lean — to bend
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. firm — steady
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. pitch — completely
  18. race — a contest
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. lean — thin
  23. firm — decided
  24. firm — a company

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