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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 120 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: hand · bay · pound · deal · temple · coach · rash · chip

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. rash — hasty
  6. deal — to handle
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. rash — a series
  9. hand — in cards
  10. chip — for betting
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. pound — a weight
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. chip — to eat
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hand — help

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