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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: kid · racket · lie · face · race · rash · ruler · temple

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. kid — to tease
  3. face — to confront
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. race — a contest
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. kid — child
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rash — hasty
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. face — to point toward
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. rash — a series
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. face — part of the head
  23. race — humankind
  24. racket — a loud noise

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