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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.

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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 · spring · key · ruler · court · face · band · leaves

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. face — part of the head
  6. face — to confront
  7. key — for a lock
  8. court — for sport
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. spring — a coil
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. band — a ring
  13. key — in music
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. spring — of water
  16. spring — the season
  17. court — of law
  18. face — to point toward
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. key — the most important part
  24. band — a music group

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