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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: bound · coach · bowl · foot · face · date · rush · chip

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. bound — obliged
  3. face — part of the head
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. foot — a measure
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. bound — certain
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. date — the fruit
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. chip — for betting
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. chip — to eat
  24. face — to confront

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