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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: temple · foot · safe · last · cold · ball · branch · race

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. cold — not warm
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. race — humankind
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ball — a great time
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. last — to go on
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. race — a contest
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. foot — a measure
  20. branch — a division
  21. last — final
  22. race — the arms race
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. cold — an illness

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