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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 · ball · ground · bear · drill · coach · rest · fine

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ball — a great time
  4. rest — a break
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bear — the animal
  8. ground — crushed
  9. rest — what's left
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fine — all right
  12. drill — army training
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bear — the animal
  15. face — to confront
  16. drill — a practice
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. ground — a position
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. face — to point toward
  21. face — part of the head
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. ball — a dance
  24. drill — 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