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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: capital · vault · trunk · wound · coach · rush · temple · chip

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. capital — a city
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. vault — a safe
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. wound — an injury
  12. capital — money
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. rush — hurry
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. wound — an injury
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. chip — to eat
  24. chip — for betting

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