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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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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 · mate · bay · dip · track · race · pass · rest

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. mate — a friend
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. track — to keep track
  5. race — the arms race
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. track — a path
  8. track — a song
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — a permit
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. mate — a partner
  13. race — a contest
  14. rest — what's left
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. race — humankind
  18. rest — what's left
  19. dip — to sink
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. mate — to breed
  22. rest — a break
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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