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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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Word bank
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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: fine · hide · wake · temple · race · band · key · face

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. fine — all right
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. key — the most important part
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. wake — a trail
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. key — in music
  10. face — part of the head
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. race — humankind
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. fine — high quality
  15. race — the arms race
  16. key — for a lock
  17. face — to confront
  18. face — to point toward
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. race — a contest
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. band — a ring

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