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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: present · safe · face · chair · spring · cabinet · shower · coach

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. present — a gift
  4. face — to point toward
  5. shower — rain
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. spring — the season
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. spring — a coil
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. present — the time now
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. spring — of water
  14. present — there
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chair — a leader
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. face — to confront
  23. shower — to wash
  24. safe — out of danger

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