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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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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 · stick · fine · cell · face · chest · deal · bear

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  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. deal — to handle
  2. bear — the animal
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. chest — of your body
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. face — to point toward
  8. cell — in biology
  9. face — part of the head
  10. fine — high quality
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. bear — the animal
  13. cell — a phone
  14. face — to confront
  15. chest — a box
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. chest — of your body
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. fine — all right
  23. bear — to put up with
  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