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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: face · fine · fan · bound · perch · chest · stock · coach

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bound — tied together
  4. chest — of your body
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bound — certain
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. face — part of the head
  14. fine — high quality
  15. face — to point toward
  16. stock — goods
  17. perch — the fish
  18. chest — of your body
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. chest — a box
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. fine — all right
  23. face — to confront
  24. stock — shares

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