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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · tear · saw · face · season · court · file · stick

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. file — a line of people
  3. tear — from crying
  4. file — a tool
  5. face — part of the head
  6. court — for sport
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. court — of a king
  9. saw — the tool
  10. court — of law
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. season — in sport
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — to rip
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. season — of the year
  22. face — to point toward
  23. face — to confront
  24. saw — the tool

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