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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.

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: bowl · swing · safe · wake · coach · field · bulb · lie

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. bulb — for light
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. swing — music
  15. swing — in golf
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. field — for sport
  18. field — a subject
  19. swing — to play on
  20. wake — a trail
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. field — farmland
  24. bulb — for light

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