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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 116 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 · calf · face · pass · tube · cap · perch · stick

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. pass — a permit
  3. perch — the fish
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. face — part of the head
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. cap — a lid
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. tube — the underground
  17. face — to confront
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. cap — of ice
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. face — to point toward
  24. tube — a container

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