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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 120 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: bound · pitch · coach · squash · lean · bank · chest · face

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  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. squash — to crush
  2. bound — certain
  3. lean — thin
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. face — to point toward
  7. chest — a box
  8. lean — to bend
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bank — for money
  11. bound — tied together
  12. pitch — completely
  13. chest — of your body
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. face — part of the head
  16. squash — the sport
  17. bound — obliged
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — of a river
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. face — to confront
  23. lean — to rest against
  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