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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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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: mug · game · face · leaves · lie · pop · plane · coach

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. mug — a cup
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. game — wild animals
  5. plane — a tool
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — to visit
  10. mug — to rob
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. mug — a face
  14. face — to point toward
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. game — a match
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. face — to confront
  20. face — part of the head
  21. pop — soda
  22. lie — to recline
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. leaves — to go away

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