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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 · temple · band · rash · stick · mark · rest · staff

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — employees
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. mark — a grade
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. rash — hasty
  7. band — a ring
  8. band — a music group
  9. race — humankind
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. rest — a break
  12. race — a contest
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. race — the arms race
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — what's left
  18. mark — a trace
  19. staff — a stick
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. rash — a series
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. rash — on the skin

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