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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 120 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: arm · track · rash · object · hand · temple · bulb · race

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. object — to protest
  3. object — an aim
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. rash — a series
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. race — humankind
  8. track — a path
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. bulb — for light
  14. hand — help
  15. race — a contest
  16. bulb — for light
  17. hand — in cards
  18. race — the arms race
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. track — to keep track
  21. rash — hasty
  22. track — a song
  23. object — a thing
  24. hand — part of the body

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