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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: perch · snap · toast · face · shower · coach · race · jam

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. toast — bread
  3. race — a contest
  4. face — part of the head
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. shower — rain
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. face — to point toward
  9. perch — the fish
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. face — to confront
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. snap — to click
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. race — the arms race
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. shower — to wash
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. race — humankind

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