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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: lie · fan · coach · cap · fall · bore · toast · trunk

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. bore — to drill
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. toast — bread
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. bore — to tire
  11. fall — the season
  12. cap — a lid
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. fall — to drop
  17. cap — a hat
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. cap — of ice
  24. fan — a supporter

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