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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.

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 · lie · foot · calf · bark · bowl · can · row

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. can — to be able to
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. row — to paddle
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. lie — to recline
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — a tin
  20. row — a line
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. foot — a measure
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. bowl — a football final

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