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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: face · bound · suit · patient · snap · root · last · coach

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. suit — in cards
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. root — of a word
  5. bound — certain
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. suit — to fit
  9. bound — obliged
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. face — to point toward
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. root — the cause
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. face — part of the head
  16. last — finally
  17. suit — clothes
  18. snap — to click
  19. face — to confront
  20. bound — tied together
  21. last — final
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. root — of a plant

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