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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: deal · face · coach · bay · foot · tear · plane · swing

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. face — part of the head
  4. swing — in golf
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. face — to confront
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. swing — to play on
  11. tear — to rip
  12. plane — a tool
  13. swing — music
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. tear — from crying
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. face — to point toward
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. deal — to handle
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. foot — a measure
  24. tear — from crying

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