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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 116 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: rule · lie · field · snap · shower · coach · calf · dip

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. dip — to sink
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. lie — to recline
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. shower — to wash
  10. rule — a law
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. rule — government
  14. field — for sport
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. field — farmland
  19. field — a subject
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. shower — rain
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. snap — to click
  24. rule — to rule out

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