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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: plane · pass · face · coach · pitcher · current · sharp · kick

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. current — of water
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. face — to point toward
  7. face — to confront
  8. current — happening now
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. sharp — clever
  11. current — electric
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pass — a permit
  20. plane — a tool
  21. face — part of the head
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. sharp — exactly

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