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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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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: tube · board · bowl · fall · lie · rock · straw · court

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. fall — the season
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. board — to get on
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — to recline
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — a stone
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. rock — music
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. court — of law
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. fall — to drop
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. board — a committee
  20. tube — a container
  21. court — for sport
  22. tube — the underground
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. bowl — a dish

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