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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.

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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 · row · chest · face · lean · bowl · cabinet · bore

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. face — part of the head
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. face — to confront
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bore — to tire
  14. face — to point toward
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — thin
  17. chest — a box
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. row — to paddle
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. row — a line
  24. chest — of your body

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