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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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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: snap · rest · coach · temple · arm · race · field · bulb

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. rest — what's left
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. snap — to click
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. bulb — for light
  11. field — for sport
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. bulb — for light
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. field — farmland
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. race — humankind
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. race — a contest
  20. field — a subject
  21. race — the arms race
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. rest — a break

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