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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 120 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: fork · cell · coach · drill · tube · lie · board · lash

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. cell — in biology
  4. board — a committee
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. cell — a phone
  9. board — to get on
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. tube — a container
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. fork — in a road
  17. drill — the tool
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. tube — the underground
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. drill — army training
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. coach — a trainer

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