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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: leaves · face · coach · wake · bore · toast · band · plane

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. toast — bread
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. face — to confront
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. plane — a tool
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. bore — to tire
  16. band — a music group
  17. band — a ring
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. bore — to drill
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. face — part of the head

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