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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 · face · object · mug · season · spring · charge · press

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. object — an aim
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. charge — electricity
  6. object — to protest
  7. season — in sport
  8. mug — a cup
  9. spring — of water
  10. charge — in control
  11. face — to confront
  12. charge — a price
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. press — to push
  15. object — a thing
  16. spring — the season
  17. season — of the year
  18. spring — a coil
  19. mug — a face
  20. press — newspapers
  21. mug — to rob
  22. press — a publisher
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. face — to point toward

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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