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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 · fine · bulb · band · kick · wake · face · wind

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. kick — in football
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. fine — high quality
  6. band — a music group
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. face — to confront
  9. wind — moving air
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. band — a ring
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. wind — moving air
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. face — to point toward
  20. bulb — for light
  21. face — part of the head
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. fine — all right

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