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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
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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 · rest · content · saw · drill · scale · temple · sharp

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. scale — in music
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. drill — army training
  5. content — happy
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. sharp — clever
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. saw — the tool
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — a break
  13. scale — size or range
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. content — the amount
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. drill — the tool
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. rest — what's left
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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