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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: suit · saw · track · coach · face · game · staff · tear

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. staff — employees
  4. face — to confront
  5. tear — from crying
  6. track — a song
  7. suit — to fit
  8. track — to keep track
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. game — wild animals
  12. saw — the tool
  13. face — part of the head
  14. suit — in cards
  15. staff — employees
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. game — a match
  18. track — a path
  19. suit — clothes
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — to rip
  23. face — to point toward
  24. saw — the tool

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