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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 120 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
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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 · net · cell · bore · bass · temple · deal · wax

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. bass — the fish
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. net — for catching
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. wax — to grow
  11. net — after costs
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. bore — to tire
  17. net — in sport
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. deal — to handle
  20. cell — in biology
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bass — low music
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. cell — a phone

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