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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: face · rock · deal · field · nail · perch · wound · coach

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. face — to confront
  6. wound — an injury
  7. face — part of the head
  8. rock — music
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. perch — the fish
  15. deal — to handle
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. rock — a stone
  18. field — a subject
  19. field — for sport
  20. wound — an injury
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. field — farmland
  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