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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: calf · face · land · bass · kick · shower · deal · coach

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. deal — to handle
  6. land — a country
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. land — ground
  9. face — to confront
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. shower — rain
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. face — to point toward
  16. bass — low music
  17. kick — in football
  18. land — to come down
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bass — the fish
  23. face — part of the head
  24. deal — an agreement

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