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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 · spell · foot · saw · temple · leaves · craft · cap

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. spell — letters
  4. craft — a skill
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. saw — the tool
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. cap — a hat
  11. saw — the tool
  12. spell — magic
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. cap — of ice
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. craft — boats
  17. spell — a short time
  18. cap — a lid
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. foot — a measure
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. temple — a place of worship

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