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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: temple · chair · track · coach · kick · drill · lean · bank

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. track — to keep track
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. bank — of a river
  5. drill — a practice
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. track — a path
  8. bank — for money
  9. chair — a leader
  10. kick — in football
  11. drill — army training
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. lean — thin
  15. lean — to bend
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. track — a song
  20. drill — the tool
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. bank — for money
  24. kick — a thrill

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