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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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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: race · lie · ground · key · straw · racket · temple · mine

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. ground — a position
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. mine — for digging
  6. race — humankind
  7. ground — crushed
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. key — the most important part
  11. race — the arms race
  12. race — a contest
  13. key — for a lock
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. ground — the earth
  16. key — in music
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. lie — an untruth

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