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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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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 · current · bark · march · face · wind · race · temple

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. march — the month
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. march — music
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. current — electric
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. face — part of the head
  12. march — the month
  13. current — happening now
  14. wind — moving air
  15. face — to point toward
  16. bark — to shout
  17. current — of water
  18. race — humankind
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. face — to confront
  21. race — the arms race
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. race — a contest
  24. temple — a place of worship

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