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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
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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: ground · season · coach · patient · chair · deal · leaves · face

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. ground — crushed
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. face — to confront
  11. chair — a leader
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. face — to point toward
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. season — of the year
  17. ground — the earth
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. season — in sport
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. ground — a position
  23. face — part of the head
  24. deal — to handle

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