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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: lie · scale · shower · dip · coach · fine · bat · board

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. lie — to recline
  3. bat — the animal
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. fine — all right
  6. scale — in music
  7. shower — to wash
  8. shower — rain
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. scale — size or range
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. board — a committee
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. board — to get on
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. fine — high quality
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. fine — a penalty

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