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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: fan · temple · mug · capital · coach · mate · fork · last

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. mug — a face
  3. mate — a friend
  4. capital — money
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. last — finally
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mug — a cup
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. mate — a partner
  14. last — to go on
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. mug — to rob
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. capital — a city
  23. last — final
  24. fork — in a road

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