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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: face · bound · rule · lie · coach · spell · cap · chip

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. cap — of ice
  3. rule — government
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. chip — to eat
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. face — to point toward
  8. rule — a law
  9. chip — for betting
  10. bound — certain
  11. cap — a hat
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — part of the head
  14. spell — letters
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. spell — a short time
  17. bound — obliged
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. lie — to recline
  21. cap — a lid
  22. bound — tied together
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. spell — magic

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