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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 · wake · hand · cabinet · charge · bass · coach · band

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. wake — a trail
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. band — a music group
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — electricity
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. hand — in cards
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bass — low music
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. charge — a price
  20. hand — help
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. band — a ring
  23. band — a rubber band
  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