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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.

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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: coach · fan · land · bass · rule · staff · face · stand

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. stand — to bear
  4. staff — employees
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. land — ground
  7. rule — government
  8. staff — employees
  9. face — part of the head
  10. land — to come down
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. face — to point toward
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. staff — a stick
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bass — the fish
  20. rule — a law
  21. land — a country
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bass — low music
  24. face — to confront

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