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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: coach · band · temple · stem · cabinet · squash · drill · march

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. squash — the sport
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. band — a music group
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. drill — army training
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. drill — the tool
  11. stem — to come from
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. drill — a practice
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. band — a ring
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. march — the month
  20. march — the month
  21. march — music
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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