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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.

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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: last · wound · coach · face · bank · present · land · bay

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. face — part of the head
  3. present — there
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. land — a country
  6. present — the time now
  7. last — to go on
  8. wound — an injury
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — to point toward
  11. land — to come down
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. land — ground
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. bank — for money
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bank — for money
  20. last — finally
  21. present — a gift
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — a trainer

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