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

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. face — part of the head
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. fine — high quality
  5. rock — a stone
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. face — to point toward
  9. fork — in a road
  10. bound — certain
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. bound — obliged
  17. fine — all right
  18. band — a music group
  19. rush — hurry
  20. face — to confront
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. band — a ring
  23. bound — tied together
  24. fork — to eat with

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