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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: craft · foot · pass · coach · bat · toast · snap · face

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. foot — a measure
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. snap — to click
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. bat — the animal
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. toast — bread
  13. craft — boats
  14. craft — a skill
  15. face — to point toward
  16. face — to confront
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. face — part of the head
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pass — to spend time

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