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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: coach · fall · court · chest · temple · suit · cap · mate

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. suit — in cards
  4. chest — a box
  5. fall — the season
  6. court — of a king
  7. mate — a friend
  8. court — for sport
  9. suit — clothes
  10. chest — of your body
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. cap — a hat
  13. court — of law
  14. fall — to drop
  15. mate — to breed
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. mate — a partner
  19. suit — to fit
  20. chest — of your body
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cap — of ice
  24. temple — side of the head

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