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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 120 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: cell · pop · tear · temple · row · nail · board · race

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. race — a contest
  5. race — humankind
  6. tear — to rip
  7. board — a committee
  8. tear — from crying
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. tear — from crying
  11. row — to paddle
  12. board — to get on
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. row — a line
  15. cell — a phone
  16. pop — music
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. cell — in biology
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. pop — soda
  22. pop — to visit
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. cell — in a prison

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