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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: temple · spell · bore · arm · chip · racket · present · race

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. spell — magic
  5. bore — to tire
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. bore — to drill
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. race — a contest
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. present — a gift
  13. chip — for betting
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. race — the arms race
  16. present — there
  17. chip — to eat
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. race — humankind
  23. present — the time now
  24. spell — letters

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