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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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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: rash · wake · race · lie · straw · ball · temple · bore

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. race — humankind
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. race — a contest
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. bore — to drill
  7. wake — a trail
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a dance
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. race — the arms race
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. lie — to recline
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — a series
  21. ball — a great time
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. temple — side of the head

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