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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: temple · racket · spell · ground · nail · race · file · rash

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. file — a line of people
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. ground — the earth
  6. rash — hasty
  7. race — humankind
  8. ground — a position
  9. spell — magic
  10. file — a document
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. race — a contest
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. rash — a series
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. spell — a short time
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. race — the arms race
  21. spell — letters
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. file — a tool

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