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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: rash · bowl · fan · race · spell · coach · lie · bear

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. spell — letters
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rash — a series
  5. race — humankind
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. race — a contest
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. spell — a short time
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bear — the animal
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. spell — magic
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. race — the arms race
  22. rash — hasty
  23. lie — to recline
  24. coach — a trainer

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