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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: sharp · cap · coach · snap · mug · temple · net · wax

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. net — after costs
  3. cap — a lid
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. sharp — clever
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. mug — a cup
  9. net — in sport
  10. cap — of ice
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. cap — a hat
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. mug — a face
  16. snap — to click
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. mug — to rob
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. net — for catching
  24. sharp — with an edge

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