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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: face · prune · rule · file · dip · coach · leaves · pitcher

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. file — a document
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. file — a tool
  9. face — part of the head
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. face — to confront
  12. dip — to sink
  13. prune — to trim
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. rule — a law
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. face — to point toward
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. file — a line of people
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. leaves — of a tree

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