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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. face — to point toward
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. face — to confront
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. suit — in cards
  9. club — for golf
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. court — of a king
  12. court — of law
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. club — a group
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. wound — an injury
  18. plane — a tool
  19. court — for sport
  20. club — for dancing
  21. face — part of the head
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. suit — to fit
  24. wound — an injury

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