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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: wind · face · wound · stand · mouse · jam · chip · coach

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. face — to confront
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. chip — to eat
  11. wind — moving air
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. face — to point toward
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. wound — an injury
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. chip — for betting
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. face — part of the head
  24. stand — to bear

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