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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 120 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: vault · coach · temple · face · pitcher · board · sharp · lean

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. sharp — clever
  5. lean — to bend
  6. face — part of the head
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. lean — thin
  13. face — to point toward
  14. board — a committee
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. vault — a safe
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. board — to get on
  21. face — to confront
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. coach — a trainer

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