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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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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: toast · chest · capital · vault · roll · shower · temple · chair

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. chest — of your body
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. capital — a city
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. chest — of your body
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. shower — to wash
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. chair — a leader
  17. roll — a list
  18. toast — bread
  19. vault — a safe
  20. shower — rain
  21. capital — money
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. roll — a cake
  24. chair — a professorship

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