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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: hand · rush · face · foot · shower · plane · coach · calf

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. shower — to wash
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. hand — in cards
  6. foot — a measure
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. face — to confront
  9. rush — hurry
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. plane — a tool
  17. shower — rain
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. hand — help
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. face — to point toward

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