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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: pitcher · temple · lie · mate · present · wind · pop · coach

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. mate — a partner
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. pop — soda
  5. mate — a friend
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. wind — moving air
  8. pop — music
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. lie — to recline
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. present — there
  18. pop — to visit
  19. mate — to breed
  20. present — the time now
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. present — a gift

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