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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: cell · object · bound · temple · key · foot · coach · race

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  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. bound — certain
  2. object — to protest
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. key — for a lock
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. race — humankind
  8. foot — a measure
  9. object — an aim
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bound — tied together
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. key — the most important part
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. race — the arms race
  17. cell — in biology
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. object — a thing
  21. key — in music
  22. race — a contest
  23. cell — a phone
  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