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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: file · key · roll · coach · hide · race · temple · cap

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. roll — a cake
  3. cap — a lid
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. key — in music
  7. key — the most important part
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. race — humankind
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. file — a tool
  12. roll — a list
  13. cap — a hat
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. file — a line of people
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. key — for a lock
  19. race — the arms race
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. file — a document
  22. race — a contest
  23. roll — on a roll
  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