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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: row · temple · leaves · current · bat · wax · bowl · coach

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. current — electric
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. current — of water
  12. current — happening now
  13. bat — the animal
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. row — to paddle
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. row — a line
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. wax — to grow
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. wax — for sculpting

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