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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 120 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: rash · wound · key · temple · rush · mate · nail · row

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. rash — hasty
  6. row — to paddle
  7. rash — a series
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. key — the most important part
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. mate — a friend
  12. wound — an injury
  13. mate — to breed
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. key — in music
  19. rush — hurry
  20. row — a line
  21. key — for a lock
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. mate — a partner

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