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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.

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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: dip · trunk · bowl · coach · march · bound · lie · race

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. dip — to sink
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. race — a contest
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bound — obliged
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. race — humankind
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bound — certain
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. lie — to recline
  19. march — music
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. march — the month
  22. race — the arms race
  23. march — the month
  24. lie — an untruth

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