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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 · hand · ruler · face · bark · staff · temple · perch

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. hand — in cards
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. face — to confront
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. race — humankind
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. face — to point toward
  12. staff — employees
  13. face — part of the head
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. race — a contest
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. hand — help
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. staff — a stick
  20. perch — the fish
  21. staff — employees
  22. bark — to shout
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. ruler — for measuring

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