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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: coach · row · face · squash · leaves · mine · mate · scale

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. scale — size or range
  3. squash — the sport
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. scale — in music
  6. row — to paddle
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. face — part of the head
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mate — a friend
  17. squash — to crush
  18. face — to point toward
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. face — to confront
  21. row — a line
  22. mate — to breed
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. leaves — to go away

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