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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: lash · coach · temple · shower · deal · season · lie · rule

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. rule — a law
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. shower — to wash
  5. season — of the year
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. shower — rain
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. season — in sport
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. lie — to recline
  22. rule — government
  23. deal — to handle
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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