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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: sharp · hand · calf · key · coach · bore · face · band

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. key — for a lock
  4. key — in music
  5. sharp — clever
  6. face — to point toward
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. key — the most important part
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. face — to confront
  12. hand — help
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bore — to tire
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. band — a music group
  19. face — part of the head
  20. band — a ring
  21. hand — in cards
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. calf — of the leg

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