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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: coach · face · bear · cap · chip · spring · ground · file

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. file — a document
  5. spring — the season
  6. ground — a position
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. face — to confront
  9. ground — crushed
  10. file — a line of people
  11. face — part of the head
  12. cap — a lid
  13. bear — the animal
  14. file — a tool
  15. spring — of water
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cap — of ice
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. ground — the earth
  20. face — to point toward
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. chip — to eat
  23. bear — the animal
  24. chip — for betting

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