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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: key · temple · straw · bank · chip · race · fall · rest

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. fall — to drop
  3. chip — for betting
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. key — in music
  8. key — for a lock
  9. race — humankind
  10. fall — the season
  11. rest — what's left
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. rest — a break
  14. chip — to eat
  15. bank — for money
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. rest — what's left
  18. key — the most important part
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — of a river
  21. fall — to drop
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. race — a contest
  24. race — the arms race

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