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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: bank · fan · spring · bay · squash · cell · coach · temple

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bank — for money
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bank — of a river
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. cell — in biology
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. spring — the season
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. bank — for money
  16. squash — to crush
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. squash — the sport
  19. spring — a coil
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. spring — of water
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — side of the head

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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