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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 120 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: fan · bound · ball · bear · mine · arm · coach · temple

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  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. bear — to put up with
  2. bear — the animal
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mine — for digging
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. bound — certain
  10. ball — a great time
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bound — obliged
  14. ball — a dance
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bear — the animal
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bound — tied together
  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