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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: band · temple · rush · perch · coach · deal

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. deal — to handle
  5. band — a ring
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. perch — the fish
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. band — a music group
  18. rush — hurry

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