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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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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: snap · fine · kid · kick · coach · face · perch · ball

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. kick — in football
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. ball — a great time
  5. snap — to click
  6. ball — a dance
  7. fine — all right
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. kid — to tease
  12. fine — high quality
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. face — to confront
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. perch — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. face — part of the head
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. kid — child

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