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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: lean · toast · spell · coach · racket · lie · nail · wound

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. spell — a short time
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. toast — bread
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. spell — letters
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. lean — thin
  12. wound — an injury
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. spell — magic
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. lie — to recline
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. wound — an injury

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