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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: trunk · bulb · pitch · drill · coach · wind · temple · rock

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. wind — moving air
  6. drill — army training
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. rock — music
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. rock — a stone
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. pitch — completely
  21. drill — the tool
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. drill — a practice
  24. bulb — for light

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