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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: temple · mouse · wind · present · kick · mark · staff · race

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. race — a contest
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mark — a grade
  6. present — a gift
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — moving air
  15. present — there
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — a stick
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. race — humankind
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. present — the time now
  23. staff — employees
  24. race — the arms race

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