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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
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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: dip · ball · coach · net · kid · temple · present · hand

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. dip — to sink
  4. hand — help
  5. present — there
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. kid — to tease
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. net — in sport
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. present — the time now
  14. net — after costs
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. net — for catching
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. present — a gift
  19. kid — child
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. ball — a dance
  22. hand — in cards
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ball — a round shape

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