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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: racket · saw · temple · race · rest · toast · rash · stem

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. rest — a break
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. saw — the tool
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. saw — the tool
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. rash — hasty
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. rest — what's left
  15. race — humankind
  16. toast — bread
  17. stem — to come from
  18. rash — a series
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. rest — what's left
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. race — the arms race
  24. race — a contest

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