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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: temple · rash · court · bulb · coach · toast · cabinet · mine

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. mine — for digging
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. court — of a king
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rash — a series
  12. court — of law
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. bulb — for light
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. court — for sport
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. rash — hasty
  24. temple — side of the head

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