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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 · stem · fan · mouse · kick · suit · coach · degree

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. suit — to fit
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. degree — from a university
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. degree — an amount
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. kick — in football
  19. suit — clothes
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. degree — temperature
  22. suit — in cards
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. stem — to come from

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