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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: temple · shower · safe · race · ground · wake · stand · mug

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. ground — the earth
  3. race — humankind
  4. ground — a position
  5. mug — a cup
  6. stand — to bear
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. shower — to wash
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. mug — to rob
  12. ground — crushed
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. shower — rain
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. race — a contest
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. wake — a trail
  23. race — the arms race
  24. safe — out of danger

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