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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.

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: key · fan · wound · temple · spell · date · coach · mate

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. wound — an injury
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. wound — an injury
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. key — the most important part
  12. date — the fruit
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. spell — letters
  15. mate — a friend
  16. key — for a lock
  17. spell — magic
  18. key — in music
  19. spell — a short time
  20. mate — to breed
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — side of the head
  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