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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. rest — what's left
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. pop — to visit
  5. face — part of the head
  6. rest — a break
  7. face — to point toward
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. chair — a leader
  10. plane — a tool
  11. tube — the underground
  12. cap — a lid
  13. tube — a container
  14. pop — music
  15. cap — a hat
  16. pop — soda
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. cap — of ice
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. rest — what's left
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. face — to confront
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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