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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: coach · stem · bass · arm · season · march · nail · temple

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. march — the month
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. bass — the fish
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. bass — low music
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. season — in sport
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. stem — to come from
  19. season — of the year
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. march — the month
  22. march — music
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. arm — part of the body

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