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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: coach · dip · mate · temple · prune · stand · bulb · row

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. stand — to bear
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. mate — to breed
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. row — to paddle
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. dip — to sink
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. mate — a friend
  16. prune — to trim
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. row — a line
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. prune — to trim
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. temple — a place of worship
  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