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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.

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: coach · track · march · bank · season · sharp · lie · chair

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bank — for money
  3. track — a path
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bank — of a river
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. lie — to recline
  9. march — the month
  10. march — the month
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. season — of the year
  15. sharp — clever
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. bank — for money
  20. track — a song
  21. chair — a leader
  22. season — in sport
  23. track — to keep track
  24. march — music

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