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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: chest · coach · face · tube · season · racket · cue · mug

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. chest — a box
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. chest — of your body
  5. cue — a signal
  6. chest — of your body
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. mug — a face
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — in sport
  12. mug — to rob
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cue — a hint
  15. tube — a container
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. season — of the year
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. face — to point toward
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. face — part of the head
  22. mug — a cup
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. tube — the underground

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