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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: race · bound · mouse · rest · racket · temple · season · staff

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. season — of the year
  5. rest — what's left
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. race — the arms race
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. bound — tied together
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. race — a contest
  14. bound — certain
  15. staff — employees
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. staff — a stick
  19. rest — what's left
  20. season — in sport
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bound — obliged
  23. staff — employees
  24. race — humankind

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