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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: kid · charge · chest · suit · stick · coach · vault · can

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. kid — child
  3. kid — to tease
  4. chest — a box
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. chest — of your body
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. suit — to fit
  10. suit — in cards
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. charge — a price
  18. charge — in control
  19. can — a tin
  20. vault — a safe
  21. can — to be able to
  22. can — a tin
  23. suit — clothes
  24. charge — electricity

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