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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · coach · squash · band · face · mouse · game · rush

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. bound — obliged
  5. game — a match
  6. band — a ring
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. band — a music group
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bound — tied together
  14. rush — hurry
  15. squash — to crush
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bound — certain
  19. game — wild animals
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. squash — the sport
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — to point toward
  24. mouse — the animal

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