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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.

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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 · bay · race · foot · key · tear · stem · drill

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. key — in music
  3. stem — to come from
  4. drill — army training
  5. drill — the tool
  6. race — the arms race
  7. race — humankind
  8. tear — from crying
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. foot — a measure
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. key — for a lock
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. key — the most important part
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. drill — a practice
  23. tear — to rip
  24. race — a contest

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