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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
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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: firm · last · temple · plane · row · toast · coach · court

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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. plane — a tool
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. firm — a company
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. last — to go on
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. toast — bread
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. last — finally
  13. firm — decided
  14. firm — steady
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. row — a line
  18. row — to paddle
  19. court — of law
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. court — for sport
  22. last — final
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. court — of a king

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