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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: lie · deal · coach · net · chair · chip · face · bank

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. net — in sport
  5. net — for catching
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — to eat
  8. bank — of a river
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bank — for money
  11. net — after costs
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. bank — for money
  17. deal — to handle
  18. face — to confront
  19. chip — for betting
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. face — to point toward
  22. chair — a leader
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. chair — to sit on

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