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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 116 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: face · chair · pitch · wax · squash · march · coach · mouse

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. march — music
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. chair — a leader
  8. pitch — completely
  9. face — to point toward
  10. squash — to crush
  11. wax — to grow
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. march — the month
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. squash — the sport
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. march — the month
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. face — to confront
  24. coach — a trainer

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