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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: rule · race · wind · jam · bear · roll · straw · temple

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. race — the arms race
  3. bear — the animal
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bear — the animal
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. roll — a list
  10. roll — a cake
  11. race — humankind
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — moving air
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. rule — government
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. rule — a law
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. race — a contest
  24. wind — to turn a key

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