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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 120 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: rash · coach · cue · mate · kid · face · bowl · firm

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. cue — a hint
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. face — part of the head
  7. kid — child
  8. face — to confront
  9. mate — a friend
  10. firm — a company
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. mate — a partner
  13. firm — steady
  14. mate — to breed
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rash — a series
  20. cue — a signal
  21. cue — for pool
  22. firm — decided
  23. face — to point toward
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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