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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: bear · temple · leaves · face · race · chip · mine · racket

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. face — part of the head
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. chip — to eat
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. face — to point toward
  9. bear — the animal
  10. race — the arms race
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. face — to confront
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. chip — for betting
  17. race — humankind
  18. bear — the animal
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. race — a contest
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. racket — a loud noise

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