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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: nail · racket · fall · kid · race · temple · chair · rock

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. rock — a stone
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. fall — to drop
  8. kid — to tease
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. fall — to drop
  16. race — humankind
  17. kid — child
  18. rock — music
  19. chair — a leader
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. race — a contest
  22. race — the arms race
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. rock — to move gently

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