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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: wound · temple · coach · wave · lie · swing

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wound — an injury
  4. swing — to play on
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. swing — music
  8. lie — to recline
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. swing — in golf
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. coach — a trainer

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