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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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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: saw · game · coach · can · spring · bark · net · face

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. game — wild animals
  3. spring — the season
  4. bark — to shout
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. saw — the tool
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. spring — a coil
  10. spring — of water
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. can — a tin
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. face — to confront
  15. net — in sport
  16. saw — the tool
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — to be able to
  19. face — part of the head
  20. net — after costs
  21. game — a match
  22. net — for catching
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. face — to point toward

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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