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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: coach · shower · mate · net · hand · object · bulb · temple

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. hand — in cards
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. bulb — for light
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. hand — help
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. object — to protest
  10. shower — to wash
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. mate — a friend
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. net — in sport
  15. object — an aim
  16. shower — rain
  17. net — for catching
  18. mate — to breed
  19. object — a thing
  20. net — after costs
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. mate — a partner

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