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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: stick · coach · staff · temple · bear · hand · pound · key

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. staff — employees
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. key — the most important part
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bear — the animal
  9. key — for a lock
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. hand — help
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. staff — employees
  15. pound — a weight
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. key — in music
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. staff — a stick
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. hand — in cards
  24. bear — the animal

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