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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: game · coach · jam · spell · club · race · patient · face

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. face — to point toward
  5. race — the arms race
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. spell — a short time
  9. race — humankind
  10. spell — magic
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. game — a match
  15. spell — letters
  16. face — part of the head
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. club — a group
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. game — wild animals
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. race — a contest
  23. club — for golf
  24. club — for dancing

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