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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 · staff · rule · can · face · mate · spell · stick

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. face — to point toward
  3. rule — a law
  4. can — a tin
  5. staff — a stick
  6. face — to confront
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. spell — a short time
  9. staff — employees
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. staff — employees
  12. can — a tin
  13. face — part of the head
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. mate — a partner
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mate — a friend
  20. can — to be able to
  21. rule — government
  22. spell — letters
  23. spell — magic
  24. coach — a trainer

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