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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 · lash · cold · file · ruler · coach · temple · rash

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. rash — hasty
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. rash — a series
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. cold — not warm
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. file — a tool
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. race — the arms race
  13. file — a document
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. file — a line of people
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. race — a contest
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. cold — an illness
  24. race — humankind

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