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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.

Make a worksheet

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: spell · coach · land · rest · fan · chair · temple · kick

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. rest — a break
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. chair — a leader
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. spell — magic
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. land — to come down
  11. spell — letters
  12. land — a country
  13. rest — what's left
  14. land — ground
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. rest — what's left
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. kick — in football
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. spell — a short time
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. chair — to sit on

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