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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: band · key · current · temple · fall · nail · coach · tear

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. fall — to drop
  5. tear — from crying
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. key — the most important part
  8. current — happening now
  9. band — a music group
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. current — of water
  12. key — in music
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. fall — to drop
  15. key — for a lock
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. tear — to rip
  20. band — a ring
  21. tear — from crying
  22. current — electric
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. fall — the season

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