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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: content · firm · row · season · coach · face · toast · bay

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. content — happy
  4. season — in sport
  5. face — to confront
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. toast — bread
  9. firm — a company
  10. face — part of the head
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. face — to point toward
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. row — a line
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. row — to paddle
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. firm — steady
  21. firm — decided
  22. season — of the year
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. content — the amount

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