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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: wake · rush · nail · bound · race · temple · lie · ball

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. lie — to recline
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. race — the arms race
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. bound — certain
  10. race — humankind
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. rush — hurry
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bound — tied together
  19. wake — a trail
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. ball — a dance
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. race — a contest

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