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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
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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: safe · bowl · swing · clip · coach · temple · deal · net

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  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. bowl — a dish
  2. swing — to play on
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. clip — for paper
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — in sport
  12. clip — to cut
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. swing — in golf
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. swing — music
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. net — after costs
  21. deal — to handle
  22. clip — a video
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. coach — a trainer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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