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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: field · rule · bark · charge · temple · kick · spring · coach

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. spring — a coil
  4. rule — government
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. field — for sport
  9. charge — a price
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. kick — in football
  13. field — farmland
  14. field — a subject
  15. charge — electricity
  16. charge — in control
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. spring — the season
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. rule — a law
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. bark — to shout
  24. spring — of water

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