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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 · current · date · spell · prune · calf · arm · coach

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. current — happening now
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. spell — letters
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. prune — to trim
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. current — of water
  16. spell — magic
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. date — the fruit
  19. prune — to trim
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. spell — a short time
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. current — electric

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