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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 · cold · temple · safe · ball · rash · face · season

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rash — a series
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. ball — a great time
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. ball — a dance
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. cold — an illness
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. season — in sport
  12. face — to point toward
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. cold — not warm
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. face — part of the head
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. face — to confront
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. season — of the year
  24. safe — out of danger

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