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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: temple · racket · coach · roll · season · mug · bulb · snap

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. roll — a cake
  4. season — in sport
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. snap — to click
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. bulb — for light
  14. season — of the year
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. roll — a list
  21. mug — a cup
  22. mug — to rob
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. mug — a face

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