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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.

Make a worksheet

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: coach · vault · chest · wax · fall · temple · current · sharp

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. current — of water
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. fall — to drop
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. chest — a box
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — the season
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. wax — to grow
  14. current — electric
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. vault — a safe
  17. chest — of your body
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. chest — of your body
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. sharp — clever
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. current — happening now
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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