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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: temple · squash · coach · fall · root · cell · can · ball

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. squash — the sport
  4. can — a tin
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. fall — the season
  7. ball — a dance
  8. fall — to drop
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. squash — to crush
  11. cell — a phone
  12. root — of a word
  13. fall — to drop
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. root — of a plant
  18. cell — in biology
  19. root — the cause
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ball — a great time

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