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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: wave · temple · chip · date · coach · cabinet · squash · bark

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. squash — to crush
  3. chip — for betting
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. squash — the sport
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bark — to shout
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. chip — to eat
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. date — the fruit
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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