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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: temple · coach · pitcher · drill · hide · stick · staff · bat

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. staff — employees
  10. drill — army training
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. drill — the tool
  13. staff — employees
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. staff — a stick
  19. drill — a practice
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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