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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: face · coach · swing · board · rush · snap · fine · bat

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. face — part of the head
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. board — a committee
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. swing — in golf
  9. snap — to click
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. board — to get on
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. face — to point toward
  15. swing — to play on
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. swing — music
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. face — to confront
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — high quality
  23. rush — hurry
  24. bat — the animal

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