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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: coach · cabinet · land · leaves · calf · court · present · face

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. face — part of the head
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. land — ground
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. land — to come down
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. land — a country
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — for sport
  16. present — the time now
  17. face — to point toward
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. present — there
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. court — of law
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. face — to confront

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