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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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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: race · toast · game · temple · mug · kick · nail · stick

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. race — humankind
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. mug — a cup
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. toast — bread
  10. mug — to rob
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. kick — in football
  13. race — a contest
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. game — wild animals
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. game — a match
  21. race — the arms race
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. mug — a face

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