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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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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: chest · rest · pass · temple · mark · nail · vault · coach

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. rest — a break
  4. chest — of your body
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. mark — a grade
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. rest — what's left
  13. vault — a safe
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. chest — a box
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. chest — of your body
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. mark — a trace

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