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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: craft · hide · bound · plane · coach · face · spring · dip

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. spring — the season
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. spring — a coil
  8. craft — a skill
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. plane — a tool
  11. face — to confront
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bound — tied together
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. craft — boats
  18. spring — of water
  19. dip — to sink
  20. face — part of the head
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bound — certain

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