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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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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: roll · temple · pop · coach · last · firm · wound · foot

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  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. firm — a company
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. roll — a list
  4. firm — decided
  5. foot — a measure
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. last — final
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. pop — music
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. wound — an injury
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. roll — a cake
  15. pop — to visit
  16. last — to go on
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. last — finally
  20. pop — soda
  21. firm — steady
  22. wound — an injury
  23. temple — a place of worship
  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