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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: content · temple · coach · suit · hand · present · season · nail

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. present — there
  4. season — in sport
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. content — happy
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. content — the amount
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. suit — to fit
  12. present — the time now
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. suit — in cards
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. hand — in cards
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. present — a gift
  20. season — of the year
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. suit — clothes
  24. coach — a trainer

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