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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: temple · current · spring · foot · hand · kid · board · coach

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. spring — of water
  3. current — of water
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. foot — a measure
  6. kid — to tease
  7. spring — the season
  8. current — happening now
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. kid — child
  11. board — a committee
  12. current — electric
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. spring — a coil
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. hand — in cards
  20. board — to get on
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. 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