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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: rock · perch · cabinet · mate · coach · face · staff · scale

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. staff — employees
  3. scale — in music
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. rock — music
  6. face — part of the head
  7. staff — employees
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. mate — a partner
  10. face — to confront
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. scale — size or range
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. rock — a stone
  17. face — to point toward
  18. mate — a friend
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. mate — to breed
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. perch — the fish
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. staff — a stick

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