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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: track · court · lean · chest · temple · race · wax · coach

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. track — a path
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. race — a contest
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. court — for sport
  10. race — humankind
  11. court — of a king
  12. wax — to grow
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. race — the arms race
  16. chest — of your body
  17. track — a song
  18. chest — a box
  19. lean — thin
  20. track — to keep track
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. court — of law
  24. lean — to bend

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