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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: fine · mine · firm · rush · coach · ball · tear · temple

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. tear — to rip
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. mine — for digging
  7. tear — from crying
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. firm — decided
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ball — a great time
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. tear — from crying
  15. rush — hurry
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. firm — steady
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. firm — a company
  22. fine — all right
  23. ball — a round shape
  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