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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: present · key · file · coach · mate · face · arm · wound

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. file — a tool
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. present — a gift
  5. mate — to breed
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a line of people
  9. wound — an injury
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. mate — a friend
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. present — the time now
  15. key — the most important part
  16. wound — an injury
  17. present — there
  18. face — to point toward
  19. mate — a partner
  20. key — for a lock
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. face — to confront
  24. face — part of the head

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