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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: pitcher · temple · fan · coach · wound · face · jam · hide

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. wound — an injury
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. face — to point toward
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. wound — an injury
  16. face — to confront
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. face — part of the head
  24. fan — to cool the air

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