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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: temple · ground · coach · land · bore · rock · band · cue

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. rock — a stone
  5. bore — to tire
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. band — a ring
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. land — ground
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cue — a signal
  15. land — a country
  16. land — to come down
  17. rock — music
  18. band — a music group
  19. ground — crushed
  20. cue — for pool
  21. ground — the earth
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bore — to drill
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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