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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: wound · rest · pitcher · tube · temple · craft · coach · hide

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. tube — a container
  3. rest — a break
  4. craft — boats
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. wound — an injury
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. tube — the underground
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. rest — what's left
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. rest — what's left
  24. craft — a skill

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