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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: hide · stick · temple · ruler · race · toast · bound · lean

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. race — the arms race
  4. bound — tied together
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. bound — obliged
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bound — certain
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. toast — bread
  17. lean — thin
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. race — a contest
  20. lean — to bend
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. race — humankind
  24. temple — a place of worship

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