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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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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: row · sharp · shower · pitch · toast · rush · face · coach

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. row — to paddle
  3. face — to point toward
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. row — a line
  11. face — to confront
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. shower — rain
  14. shower — to wash
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — hurry
  17. toast — bread
  18. sharp — clever
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. pitch — completely
  24. face — part of the head

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