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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: face · mate · sharp · coach · net · pop · drill · bay

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. face — to confront
  3. face — part of the head
  4. drill — a practice
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. net — for catching
  8. mate — a partner
  9. face — to point toward
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. drill — army training
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. sharp — clever
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. net — in sport
  19. net — after costs
  20. pop — to visit
  21. mate — a friend
  22. pop — soda
  23. drill — the tool
  24. mate — to breed

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