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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.

Make a worksheet

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: coach · bowl · cap · shower · lean · rock · land · chair

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. cap — a lid
  4. shower — to wash
  5. cap — a hat
  6. land — to come down
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rock — a stone
  10. land — a country
  11. shower — rain
  12. cap — of ice
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. rock — music
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. chair — a leader
  22. lean — thin
  23. land — ground
  24. bowl — to roll

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