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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.

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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 · temple · land · season · jam · suit · lie · dip

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. land — a country
  3. suit — in cards
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. lie — to recline
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. season — of the year
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. suit — to fit
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. land — ground
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. dip — to sink
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. land — to come down
  20. season — in sport
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. lie — an untruth

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