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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: present · shower · coach · fan · march · track · temple · roll

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. present — the time now
  5. roll — a list
  6. roll — a cake
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. shower — rain
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. track — to keep track
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. march — music
  13. present — there
  14. track — a path
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. march — the month
  19. present — a gift
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. track — a song
  23. march — the month
  24. shower — to wash

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