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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 · coach · lean · mug · wound · bowl · date · tube

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. date — the fruit
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. tube — the underground
  7. wound — an injury
  8. lean — thin
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. mug — to rob
  19. mug — a cup
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. mug — a face
  22. lean — to bend
  23. tube — a container
  24. temple — side of the head

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