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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 120 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: face · craft · leaves · kick · row · track · coach · hand

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. craft — boats
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. row — to paddle
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. craft — a skill
  7. kick — in football
  8. row — a line
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. face — part of the head
  13. track — to keep track
  14. track — a path
  15. hand — in cards
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. hand — help
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. track — a song
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — to point toward
  24. kick — a thrill

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