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

Word bank: saw · field · wind · temple · sharp · coach · cell · ruler

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. saw — the tool
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. field — a subject
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. field — farmland
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. cell — in biology
  17. sharp — clever
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. field — for sport
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. cell — a phone
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — moving air
  24. saw — the tool

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