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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: snap · spring · bore · board · fine · coach · face · can

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. spring — a coil
  3. fine — high quality
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. face — to confront
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. face — part of the head
  15. board — a committee
  16. snap — to click
  17. spring — the season
  18. face — to point toward
  19. can — a tin
  20. spring — of water
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. can — to be able to
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. can — a tin

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