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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
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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: lean · tube · lie · fork · can · bat · coach · cabinet

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. can — a tin
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. tube — a container
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. can — to be able to
  11. bat — the animal
  12. fork — in a road
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. lean — thin
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. can — a tin
  20. lean — to bend
  21. tube — the underground
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. lie — to recline

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