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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 · can · leaves · dip · cell · rush · band · coach

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. can — to be able to
  3. band — a music group
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. dip — to sink
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. face — to point toward
  11. face — to confront
  12. can — a tin
  13. face — part of the head
  14. can — a tin
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. band — a ring
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. rush — hurry
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. cell — a phone
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. cell — in biology
  24. coach — a trainer

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