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

Word bank: suit · face · coach · clip · field · pass · row · shower

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — rain
  3. face — part of the head
  4. pass — a permit
  5. clip — a video
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. row — a line
  8. suit — in cards
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. suit — clothes
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. clip — to cut
  14. clip — for paper
  15. row — to paddle
  16. face — to point toward
  17. suit — to fit
  18. field — farmland
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. face — to confront
  22. field — a subject
  23. field — for sport
  24. shower — to wash

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