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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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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: bank · cue · chest · drill · rock · temple · season · coach

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. cue — a signal
  3. season — of the year
  4. chest — of your body
  5. season — in sport
  6. drill — a practice
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bank — for money
  9. chest — a box
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bank — of a river
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cue — a hint
  17. rock — a stone
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. drill — army training
  21. bank — for money
  22. rock — music
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. drill — the tool

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