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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: cue · field · fine · calf · wound · coach · bulb · temple

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bulb — for light
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. field — for sport
  8. fine — all right
  9. fine — high quality
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cue — a hint
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. field — a subject
  16. field — farmland
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. wound — an injury
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. cue — a signal
  23. bulb — for light
  24. wound — an injury

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