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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: race · bowl · game · temple · firm · wound · ruler · lie

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. race — humankind
  5. firm — decided
  6. firm — steady
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. game — a match
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. lie — to recline
  15. firm — a company
  16. wound — an injury
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. race — the arms race
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. wound — an injury
  24. game — wild animals

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