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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: bay · roll · bulb · can · coach · face · chair · rock

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. roll — a cake
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. can — to be able to
  6. bulb — for light
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. roll — a list
  9. rock — music
  10. face — to point toward
  11. chair — a leader
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. face — part of the head
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. can — a tin
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. rock — a stone
  24. can — a tin

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