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

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. drill — army training
  3. drill — a practice
  4. last — to go on
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. scale — size or range
  10. present — there
  11. present — the time now
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. drill — the tool
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. last — finally
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pit — a hole
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. scale — in music
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. present — a gift
  22. last — final
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. calf — a young animal

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