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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
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: band · drill · board · mate · leaves · coach · temple · date

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. drill — a practice
  4. date — the fruit
  5. mate — to breed
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. band — a music group
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. board — to get on
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. board — a committee
  16. drill — the tool
  17. mate — a friend
  18. mate — a partner
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. band — a ring
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. drill — army training
  24. temple — side of the head

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