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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: present · ruler · coach · temple · clip · march

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. present — the time now
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. march — the month
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. clip — a video
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. clip — to cut
  10. march — music
  11. clip — for paper
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. march — the month
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. present — a gift

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