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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: mug · chest · bear · sharp · coach · face · lash · pop

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. mug — a face
  4. sharp — clever
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. pop — to visit
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — a box
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. bear — the animal
  13. chest — of your body
  14. face — to point toward
  15. mug — a cup
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. face — part of the head
  18. mug — to rob
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pop — soda
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. pop — music
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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