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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 · mug · content · cue · key · coach · bat · calf

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. mug — to rob
  4. cue — for pool
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. cue — a signal
  7. face — part of the head
  8. bat — the animal
  9. key — for a lock
  10. key — in music
  11. content — the amount
  12. cue — a hint
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. key — the most important part
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. mug — a face
  18. face — to point toward
  19. content — happy
  20. mug — a cup
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bat — in an idiom

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