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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 116 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: lean · squash · key · face · perch · cabinet · band · coach

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. band — a music group
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. lean — thin
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. squash — to crush
  9. lean — to bend
  10. face — part of the head
  11. squash — the sport
  12. face — to point toward
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. key — the most important part
  15. band — a ring
  16. key — in music
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. key — for a lock
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — the fish
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. face — to confront

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