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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: dip · bear · prune · leaves · fine · coach

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. prune — to trim
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. fine — all right
  6. prune — to trim
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. bear — the animal
  9. dip — to sink
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bear — the animal
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. fine — high quality
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. leaves — lets stay

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