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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: tube · bay · spring · fan · face · leaves · coach · stock

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. spring — a coil
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. tube — the underground
  10. spring — the season
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. stock — goods
  13. face — to point toward
  14. spring — of water
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. face — to confront
  20. stock — shares
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. tube — a container
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. fan — to cool the air

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