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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: mine · foot · temple · snap · bank · race · cold · lash

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. cold — not warm
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. race — humankind
  6. bank — of a river
  7. foot — a measure
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. snap — to click
  10. cold — an illness
  11. bank — for money
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. race — a contest
  16. race — the arms race
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. mine — for digging
  19. bank — for money
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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