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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: foot · mug · cold · board · wake · ruler · coach · temple

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. wake — a trail
  6. cold — an illness
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. foot — a measure
  13. mug — a cup
  14. mug — to rob
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. mug — a face
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. board — to get on
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. cold — not warm
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. board — a committee

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