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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: jam · last · rest · fan · temple · spell · cold · coach

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. spell — a short time
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rest — what's left
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. spell — magic
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. spell — letters
  16. cold — an illness
  17. last — finally
  18. last — to go on
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. rest — what's left
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. cold — not warm
  23. rest — a break
  24. temple — side of the head

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