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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: temple · squash · cap · bay · face · bulb · prune · coach

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. face — part of the head
  5. squash — the sport
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. face — to point toward
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. squash — to crush
  12. face — to confront
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. cap — of ice
  16. bulb — for light
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cap — a lid
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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