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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: cap · lie · net · arm · drill · coach · fall · temple

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. cap — of ice
  6. fall — to drop
  7. drill — a practice
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. fall — the season
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. net — in sport
  12. net — for catching
  13. fall — to drop
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. net — after costs
  17. drill — army training
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — a hat
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. lie — to recline

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