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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 · arm · bowl · toast · lie · saw · pitch · race

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. pitch — completely
  5. saw — the tool
  6. lie — to recline
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. race — a contest
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. saw — the tool
  20. race — the arms race
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. toast — bread
  23. race — humankind
  24. lie — an untruth

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