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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 · leaves · rock · lie · face · stand · hand · pop

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. hand — help
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. rock — music
  8. face — to confront
  9. pop — to visit
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. lie — to recline
  12. face — to point toward
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. pop — soda
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. face — part of the head
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. pop — music
  20. rock — a stone
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. stand — to bear
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. hand — in cards

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