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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: key · rash · rush · saw · wax · race · temple · row

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. race — a contest
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. saw — the tool
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. key — the most important part
  10. key — for a lock
  11. row — to paddle
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. key — in music
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. rash — a series
  16. row — a line
  17. rush — hurry
  18. race — the arms race
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. saw — the tool
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. wax — to grow

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