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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.

Make a worksheet

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: lie · row · spring · coach · key · leaves · dip · kick

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. kick — in football
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. spring — of water
  9. key — in music
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. key — for a lock
  12. spring — a coil
  13. key — the most important part
  14. row — to paddle
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. spring — the season
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. lie — to recline
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. row — a line
  24. dip — to dunk

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