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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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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: lean · hand · coach · deal · trunk · temple

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. deal — to handle
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. hand — help
  16. lean — to bend
  17. hand — in cards
  18. temple — a place of worship

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