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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.

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: arm · coach · bowl · board · fan · tear · lie · tube

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. tear — to rip
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. tube — a container
  6. board — a committee
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. board — to get on
  10. tube — the underground
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. fan — a supporter

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