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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: wax · spell · rush · pitch · coach · spring · pass · temple

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. pass — a permit
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. pitch — completely
  12. spring — the season
  13. spring — a coil
  14. wax — to grow
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. spring — of water
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spell — letters
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. rush — 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