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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: deal · rush · leaves · row · coach · shower · face · pound

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. shower — to wash
  5. deal — to handle
  6. shower — rain
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. face — to confront
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. pound — a weight
  16. face — part of the head
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. face — to point toward
  19. row — a line
  20. row — to paddle
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. rush — hurry
  24. pound — for dogs

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