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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 · dip · cue · swing · calf · spring · lean · coach

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. dip — to sink
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. cue — a hint
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. spring — the season
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. cue — a signal
  12. spring — a coil
  13. swing — in golf
  14. cue — for pool
  15. lie — to recline
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. spring — of water
  18. swing — to play on
  19. swing — music
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — thin
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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