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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 120 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: arm · ruler · face · staff · coach · pound · bear · pop

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. face — to point toward
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pop — soda
  5. pop — music
  6. face — part of the head
  7. staff — employees
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. pop — to visit
  12. face — to confront
  13. bear — the animal
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bear — the animal
  17. staff — employees
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. staff — a stick
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. pound — a weight

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