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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: rest · coach · mate · cold · temple · craft · cell · spell

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. mate — a friend
  4. spell — magic
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. cold — an illness
  10. mate — a partner
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. mate — to breed
  13. craft — a skill
  14. spell — a short time
  15. craft — boats
  16. cell — a phone
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. spell — letters
  19. rest — what's left
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. cell — in biology
  22. rest — a break
  23. cold — not warm
  24. temple — a place of worship

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