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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 · bore · coach · deal · tube · kick · cue · ball

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — the underground
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. bore — to tire
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. bore — to drill
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cue — a hint
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. deal — to handle
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. ball — a dance
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. cue — a signal
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. kick — in football
  24. bore — gave birth

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