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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 · cap · lie · snap · track · pop · temple · club

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. track — to keep track
  4. pop — to visit
  5. track — a path
  6. race — a contest
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. lie — to recline
  10. pop — music
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. club — for dancing
  13. cap — a hat
  14. snap — to click
  15. race — the arms race
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. cap — of ice
  19. race — humankind
  20. cap — a lid
  21. track — a song
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. club — for golf
  24. club — a group

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