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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: rush · wax · mate · plane · pitch · temple · coach · rest

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. mate — a partner
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. mate — a friend
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. rest — a break
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rest — what's left
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. plane — a tool
  22. wax — to grow
  23. mate — to breed
  24. temple — a place of worship

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