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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: spell · jam · bank · squash · coach · hand · mate · face

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. mate — to breed
  3. bank — for money
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. face — to point toward
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. mate — a partner
  9. spell — a short time
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. squash — to crush
  12. bank — of a river
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. hand — help
  15. hand — in cards
  16. spell — magic
  17. mate — a friend
  18. face — to confront
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. bank — for money
  21. face — part of the head
  22. squash — the sport
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. spell — letters

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