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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 120 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
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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: deal · bark · chair · can · present · wound · coach · face

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. wound — an injury
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. present — a gift
  5. face — part of the head
  6. present — there
  7. can — a tin
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. face — to confront
  13. wound — an injury
  14. present — the time now
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. chair — a leader
  17. can — to be able to
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. bark — to shout
  20. face — to point toward
  21. deal — to handle
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. deal — a big deal

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