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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
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: lean · dip · coach · jam · field · bowl · fall · mouse

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — to drop
  4. lean — thin
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. field — farmland
  10. field — for sport
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. lean — to bend
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. fall — the season
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. field — a subject
  24. dip — to sink

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