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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: field · race · temple · rock · lean · hide · face · sharp

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. race — the arms race
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. rock — a stone
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. race — a contest
  8. field — farmland
  9. face — to confront
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. face — to point toward
  12. field — for sport
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. face — part of the head
  15. rock — music
  16. sharp — clever
  17. race — humankind
  18. lean — to bend
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. lean — thin
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. field — a subject
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. hide — to keep secret

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