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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: temple · game · face · coach · chip · last · fine · band

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. fine — all right
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. last — finally
  6. chip — to eat
  7. chip — for betting
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. band — a music group
  12. game — wild animals
  13. last — final
  14. fine — high quality
  15. face — part of the head
  16. face — to point toward
  17. face — to confront
  18. band — a ring
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. game — a match
  23. last — to go on
  24. chip — in a computer

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