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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
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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: field · game · bay · capital · coach · hide · kick · lie

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. field — for sport
  4. capital — a city
  5. game — a match
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. field — farmland
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. game — wild animals
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. field — a subject
  16. kick — in football
  17. capital — money
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bay — a horse colour

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