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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: stick · bulb · bear · chip · lash · fan · temple · coach

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bulb — for light
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. bear — the animal
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. chip — for betting
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bear — the animal
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. chip — to eat
  24. fan — to cool the air

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