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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: chest · coach · hand · fall · deal · bulb · current · temple

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. hand — in cards
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. fall — to drop
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. fall — the season
  8. chest — a box
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. current — of water
  11. fall — to drop
  12. current — happening now
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. deal — to handle
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. chest — of your body
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. bulb — for light
  19. current — electric
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. chest — of your body

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