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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: mouse · kick · face · shower · suit · coach · drill · straw

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. drill — a practice
  3. suit — clothes
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. face — to point toward
  6. suit — in cards
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. shower — rain
  9. drill — the tool
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. drill — army training
  15. face — part of the head
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. suit — to fit
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. shower — to wash
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. face — to confront

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