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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: coach · arm · temple · rash · cap · craft · track · band

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. track — a song
  3. craft — boats
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. band — a music group
  9. craft — a skill
  10. rash — a series
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. track — to keep track
  14. band — a ring
  15. cap — a hat
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. rash — hasty
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. track — a path
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cap — a lid

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