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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.

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: roll · spring · dip · prune · face · coach · fan · mine

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. spring — of water
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. prune — to trim
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. face — to confront
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. dip — to sink
  13. roll — a list
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. spring — the season
  17. roll — a cake
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. mine — for digging
  20. spring — a coil
  21. face — part of the head
  22. prune — to trim
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. prune — the fruit

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