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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: wound · temple · racket · bark · coach · straw · scale · bore

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bore — to drill
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. scale — size or range
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. bore — to tire
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. scale — in music
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. wound — an injury

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