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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
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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: coach · sharp · lie · mine · wave · bowl · foot · tube

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. foot — a measure
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. mine — for digging
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. tube — the underground
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. sharp — clever
  23. tube — a container
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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