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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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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: mine · suit · arm · race · present · temple · coach · key

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. key — for a lock
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mine — for digging
  5. present — there
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. present — the time now
  8. suit — to fit
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. suit — in cards
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. race — the arms race
  13. key — in music
  14. key — the most important part
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. race — a contest
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. race — humankind
  21. suit — clothes
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. present — a gift
  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