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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bay · coach · scale · row · face · lean · present · march

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. row — a line
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. present — a gift
  5. row — to paddle
  6. lean — thin
  7. present — there
  8. face — to confront
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. march — the month
  11. face — part of the head
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. scale — in music
  14. scale — size or range
  15. march — the month
  16. lean — to bend
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. march — music
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. present — the time now
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bay — a horse colour

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