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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 116 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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. rock — a stone
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. face — part of the head
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. key — the most important part
  7. key — in music
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. rock — music
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. tear — to rip
  16. key — for a lock
  17. face — to point toward
  18. face — to confront
  19. tear — from crying
  20. chair — a leader
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. mark — a grade
  23. tear — from crying
  24. mark — a trace

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