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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: mouse · coach · nail · suit · chest · prune · temple · cold

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. prune — to trim
  5. cold — an illness
  6. chest — a box
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. chest — of your body
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. cold — not warm
  13. suit — in cards
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. prune — to trim
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. suit — to fit
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. chest — of your body
  24. temple — side of the head

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