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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: nail · toast · game · kick · mate · foot · temple · coach

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  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. game — wild animals
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. kick — in football
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mate — a partner
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. toast — bread
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. mate — a friend
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. foot — a measure
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. game — a match
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. nail — on a finger
  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