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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: calf · mark · march · coach · face · bore · deal · rock

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. march — the month
  8. face — part of the head
  9. deal — to handle
  10. mark — a trace
  11. march — music
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. face — to confront
  14. mark — a grade
  15. bore — to tire
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. rock — a stone
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. march — the month
  21. rock — music
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bore — to drill
  24. face — to point toward

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