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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: chip · coach · lie · bowl · land · swing · lean · fork

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. swing — to play on
  4. chip — for betting
  5. swing — in golf
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. land — ground
  8. lie — to recline
  9. swing — music
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. chip — to eat
  15. land — to come down
  16. land — a country
  17. lean — thin
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. lean — to bend
  22. fork — in a road
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bowl — a football final

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