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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: pound · ball · coach · arm · object · bore · rest · face

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. bore — to drill
  3. ball — a great time
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. face — part of the head
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — a break
  8. object — a thing
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. pound — a weight
  16. object — to protest
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. ball — a dance
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. object — an aim
  21. rest — what's left
  22. face — to point toward
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bore — to tire

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