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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: temple · fan · race · ball · row · wake · drill · arm

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. ball — a great time
  4. row — a line
  5. race — a contest
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. row — to paddle
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. race — humankind
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. drill — the tool
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. race — the arms race
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. ball — a dance
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wake — a trail
  22. drill — a practice
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. drill — army training

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