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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: ruler · lash · race · swing · cue · field · temple · coach

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. race — humankind
  5. cue — for pool
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. cue — a hint
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. swing — music
  12. cue — a signal
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. race — the arms race
  17. swing — in golf
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. field — a subject
  20. race — a contest
  21. field — for sport
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. swing — to play on
  24. field — farmland

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