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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.

Make a worksheet

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: key · coach · sharp · content · temple · last · squash · cold

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. squash — to crush
  6. last — finally
  7. last — final
  8. cold — an illness
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. content — happy
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. key — for a lock
  16. key — the most important part
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. last — to go on
  19. cold — not warm
  20. sharp — clever
  21. key — in music
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. squash — the sport
  24. content — the amount

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