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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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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: coach · fine · kick · wound · prune · rest · chair · cap

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. wound — an injury
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. cap — a lid
  5. prune — to trim
  6. wound — an injury
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. chair — a leader
  9. fine — all right
  10. cap — a hat
  11. kick — in football
  12. rest — a break
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. rest — what's left
  17. prune — to trim
  18. rest — what's left
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. cap — of ice
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. fine — high quality

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