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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.

Make a worksheet

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: kick · fan · temple · bulb · coach · current · stick · prune

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. prune — to trim
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. current — of water
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. kick — in football
  12. prune — to trim
  13. current — electric
  14. bulb — for light
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. current — happening now
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. bulb — for light
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bulb — of a plant

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