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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.

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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: season · shower · temple · dip · coach · mouse · court · squash

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. shower — rain
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. court — of law
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. season — in sport
  11. dip — to sink
  12. court — for sport
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. season — of the year
  15. court — of a king
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. squash — the sport
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. shower — to wash
  21. squash — to crush
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. temple — a place of worship

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