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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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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: prune · face · arm · coach · snap · chip · ruler · hide

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. face — part of the head
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. prune — to trim
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. chip — to eat
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. chip — for betting
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. snap — to click
  15. face — to point toward
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. face — to confront
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. prune — to trim
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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