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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: hide · coach · net · tube · mouse · temple · pop · deal

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. pop — music
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. pop — to visit
  8. net — in sport
  9. deal — to handle
  10. net — after costs
  11. pop — soda
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. tube — a container
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. net — for catching
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. tube — the underground
  24. mouse — the animal

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