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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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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: deal · lash · face · fall · kick · race · coach · cabinet

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  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. deal — a big deal
  2. race — humankind
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. face — part of the head
  5. fall — the season
  6. kick — in football
  7. deal — to handle
  8. fall — to drop
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. fall — to drop
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. face — to point toward
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. race — the arms race
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. face — to confront
  23. race — a contest
  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