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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. drill — a practice
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. spring — a coil
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. mark — a trace
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bank — for money
  11. spring — of water
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. bank — for money
  14. spring — the season
  15. drill — army training
  16. cell — in biology
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. cell — a phone
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. drill — the tool
  22. mark — a grade
  23. bank — of a river
  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