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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: temple · coach · perch · bulb · racket · fan · lie · swing

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bulb — for light
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. swing — to play on
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. swing — in golf
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bulb — for light
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. swing — music
  24. coach — a trainer

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