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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: vault · temple · coach · pit · scale · cold · leaves · toast

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. cold — an illness
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. toast — bread
  11. pit — in a race
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. scale — size or range
  14. pit — a hole
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. cold — not warm
  17. scale — in music
  18. vault — a safe
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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