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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: content · toast · board · fan · cabinet · roll · face · coach

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. board — a committee
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. board — to get on
  11. content — the amount
  12. face — to confront
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. roll — a cake
  15. face — to point toward
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. content — happy
  18. toast — bread
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. face — part of the head
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — ministers

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