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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
468
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: cell · stock · rest · coach · net · hide · rush · temple

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. stock — shares
  4. rest — a break
  5. net — after costs
  6. net — for catching
  7. cell — a phone
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rest — what's left
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. net — in sport
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. rush — hurry
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. rest — what's left
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. stock — goods
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. cell — in biology
  24. hide — animal skin

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