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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. face — part of the head
  6. face — to confront
  7. scale — in music
  8. ball — a great time
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pop — soda
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. scale — size or range
  14. pop — music
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. ball — a dance
  17. band — a music group
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. band — a ring
  21. pop — to visit
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. face — to point toward

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