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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: face · track · court · hide · dip · rush · roll · coach

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. court — of a king
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. court — of law
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. court — for sport
  11. dip — to sink
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. track — a song
  16. rush — hurry
  17. roll — a cake
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. track — a path
  20. face — to confront
  21. track — to keep track
  22. face — to point toward
  23. roll — a list
  24. face — part of the head

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