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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
468
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: stand · coach · file · cap · swing · mug · face · calf

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. mug — to rob
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. swing — in golf
  5. swing — to play on
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. mug — a face
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. file — a line of people
  11. cap — a hat
  12. face — part of the head
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. stand — to bear
  15. cap — of ice
  16. swing — music
  17. face — to point toward
  18. file — a tool
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. mug — a cup
  23. cap — a lid
  24. face — to confront

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