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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: swing · coach · lash · bowl · tube · press · ball · perch

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — the fish
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. tube — a container
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. ball — a great time
  7. swing — to play on
  8. press — to push
  9. ball — a dance
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. swing — in golf
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. swing — music
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. press — newspapers
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. press — a publisher
  24. ball — a round shape

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