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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: face · rush · coach · bear · band · suit · club · season

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. season — in sport
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. suit — to fit
  5. suit — in cards
  6. band — a ring
  7. rush — hurry
  8. band — a music group
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. club — for dancing
  11. face — to point toward
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bear — the animal
  16. face — part of the head
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. club — for golf
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. club — a group
  21. season — of the year
  22. suit — clothes
  23. face — to confront
  24. bear — the animal

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