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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.

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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 · coach · land · band · rule · suit · dip · toast

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. band — a music group
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. suit — to fit
  5. suit — clothes
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. face — part of the head
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. face — to confront
  11. land — ground
  12. face — to point toward
  13. rule — a law
  14. suit — in cards
  15. dip — to sink
  16. rule — government
  17. toast — bread
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. band — a ring
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. land — to come down
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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