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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: squash · coach · pass · deal · face · lie · snap · racket

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. snap — to click
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. face — to confront
  5. squash — to crush
  6. face — to point toward
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. face — part of the head
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. pass — a permit
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. squash — the sport
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. deal — to handle

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