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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
468
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: present · can · staff · pitcher · face · coach · hide · chest

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. present — a gift
  4. present — the time now
  5. face — part of the head
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. staff — a stick
  8. staff — employees
  9. present — there
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. can — a tin
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. face — to confront
  14. can — to be able to
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. chest — a box
  18. staff — employees
  19. can — a tin
  20. face — to point toward
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. chest — of your body
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. chest — of your body

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