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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 120 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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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 · cell · bulb · kick · squash · pound · drill · coach

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. kick — in football
  3. bulb — for light
  4. squash — the sport
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. squash — to crush
  7. drill — the tool
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. cell — in biology
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. drill — army training
  17. pound — a weight
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. bulb — for light
  22. drill — a practice
  23. cell — a phone
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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