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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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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: bound · plane · face · band · coach · mouse · chip · mug

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mug — a face
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. chip — to eat
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mug — a cup
  9. plane — a tool
  10. chip — for betting
  11. face — part of the head
  12. bound — certain
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. bound — obliged
  17. band — a ring
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. bound — tied together
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. band — a music group
  23. plane — in geometry
  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