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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: bore · toast · cold · spell · chest · temple · coach · bank

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  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. chest — of your body
  2. cold — not warm
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. bank — for money
  6. chest — of your body
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. bore — to tire
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — a short time
  11. chest — a box
  12. toast — bread
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — of a river
  15. cold — an illness
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. spell — magic
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. bore — to drill
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. coach — a trainer
  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