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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: coach · pound · face · chair · shower · firm · mouse · craft

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. craft — boats
  3. shower — rain
  4. firm — a company
  5. pound — a weight
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. face — to point toward
  12. face — part of the head
  13. craft — a skill
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. chair — a leader
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. shower — to wash
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. face — to confront
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. firm — decided
  24. coach — a trainer

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