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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: tube · ruler · bark · bowl · lie · coach · land · rush

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. land — to come down
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. lie — to recline
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. tube — a container
  11. rush — hurry
  12. land — ground
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bark — to shout
  21. land — a country
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. tube — the underground
  24. bowl — a dish

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