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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
468
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 · coach · deal · nail · ground · leaves · race · fan

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. ground — the earth
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. ground — crushed
  10. race — the arms race
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. race — a contest
  15. deal — to handle
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. ground — a position
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. race — humankind
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. fan — a supporter

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