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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: lean · temple · pit · race · hand · bound · coach · kick

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. race — the arms race
  4. race — a contest
  5. bound — tied together
  6. lean — to bend
  7. pit — a hole
  8. hand — help
  9. bound — certain
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. lean — thin
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. pit — in a race
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. hand — in cards
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bound — obliged
  23. kick — in football
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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