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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.

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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: dip · wave · coach · arm · court · content · bay · lie

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. lie — to recline
  3. court — of a king
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to sink
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. content — the amount
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. content — happy
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. court — of law
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. court — for sport
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. coach — a trainer

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