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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
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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: foot · pass · pop · face · lean · nail · coach · kid

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. pop — soda
  3. face — to point toward
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. face — to confront
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. lean — to bend
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. kid — to tease
  14. pop — music
  15. kid — child
  16. lean — thin
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. foot — a measure
  22. pass — a permit
  23. face — part of the head
  24. nail — for a hammer

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