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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
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: saw · bank · face · coach · bay · season · cap · field

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bank — of a river
  3. face — to point toward
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bank — for money
  6. cap — a lid
  7. season — in sport
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. face — to confront
  10. field — farmland
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. field — for sport
  15. season — of the year
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. face — part of the head
  19. cap — of ice
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. cap — a hat
  22. field — a subject
  23. bank — for money
  24. saw — the tool

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