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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: coach · face · charge · saw · root · suit · spring · bound

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. spring — the season
  3. saw — the tool
  4. face — to confront
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. saw — the tool
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. bound — obliged
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. root — of a plant
  11. spring — a coil
  12. bound — certain
  13. suit — to fit
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. charge — electricity
  16. root — the cause
  17. charge — in control
  18. spring — of water
  19. face — part of the head
  20. suit — in cards
  21. suit — clothes
  22. root — of a word
  23. bound — tied together
  24. face — to point toward

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