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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: coach · bowl · stick · cabinet · temple · arm · spring · fork

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. spring — the season
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. spring — of water
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. fork — in a road
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. spring — a coil
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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