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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: rush · mate · coach · fine · temple · arm · rash · spring

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. mate — a friend
  3. spring — of water
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. rash — a series
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. rash — hasty
  13. spring — a coil
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. mate — to breed
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. fine — all right
  21. spring — the season
  22. mate — a partner
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rash — on the skin

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