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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: coach · bank · court · temple · plane · lash · charge · net

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — electricity
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. net — for catching
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — of a river
  12. court — for sport
  13. court — of law
  14. charge — in control
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. bank — for money
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. net — in sport
  21. net — after costs
  22. plane — a tool
  23. court — of a king
  24. plane — in geometry

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