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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: bore · coach · file · face · toast · bass · kid · pitcher

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. bore — to tire
  3. file — a line of people
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. file — a document
  6. bore — to drill
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. face — to point toward
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. toast — bread
  15. kid — child
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. face — to confront
  21. file — a tool
  22. bass — low music
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. kid — to tease

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