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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: content · rash · temple · race · ground · date · rest · object

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. rest — what's left
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. object — to protest
  5. object — an aim
  6. race — the arms race
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. content — happy
  9. rash — a series
  10. race — humankind
  11. race — a contest
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. ground — the earth
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — the fruit
  18. ground — crushed
  19. rest — a break
  20. content — the amount
  21. rest — what's left
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. rash — hasty
  24. ground — a position

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