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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: wake · swing · trunk · coach · rush · temple · ground · date

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. rush — hurry
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. ground — a position
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. date — the fruit
  13. swing — in golf
  14. ground — the earth
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. swing — to play on
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. wake — a trail
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. ground — crushed
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. trunk — of a car

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