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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — music
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. shower — rain
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. band — a ring
  9. toast — bread
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. pop — to visit
  12. foot — a measure
  13. shower — to wash
  14. band — a music group
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. face — to point toward
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — part of the head
  24. mouse — the animal

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