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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.

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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: mark · cell · prune · face · bore · coach

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. mark — a trace
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bore — to tire
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. prune — to trim
  7. face — to point toward
  8. mark — a grade
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. face — to confront
  13. cell — in biology
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. prune — to trim
  18. cell — a phone

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