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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.

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 · march · coach · bear · shower · bowl · face · tube

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. shower — rain
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. march — the month
  7. tube — a container
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. face — to confront
  10. bear — the animal
  11. face — part of the head
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. march — music
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bear — the animal
  17. march — the month
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. shower — to wash
  21. lie — to recline
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. face — to point toward

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