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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: coach · bark · deal · mate · face · spell · hide · nail

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. deal — to handle
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. spell — a short time
  7. face — to point toward
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. mate — a friend
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. mate — a partner
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. face — to confront
  18. face — part of the head
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mate — to breed
  21. spell — letters
  22. bark — to shout
  23. spell — magic
  24. deal — a big deal

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