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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: temple · bulb · field · rush · race · cabinet · coach · snap

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. race — humankind
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. rush — hurry
  11. field — a subject
  12. bulb — for light
  13. race — a contest
  14. bulb — for light
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. race — the arms race
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. field — farmland
  21. snap — to click
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. rush — to 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