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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
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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: mouse · sharp · coach · face · cap · wake · march · lash

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — to point toward
  5. wake — a trail
  6. sharp — clever
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. cap — a lid
  11. march — the month
  12. cap — of ice
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. face — part of the head
  21. cap — a hat
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. march — music
  24. coach — a trainer

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