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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: coach · prune · face · vault · content · hand · fan · toast

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. content — the amount
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. content — happy
  7. prune — to trim
  8. face — part of the head
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. hand — help
  11. face — to point toward
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. face — to confront
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. toast — bread
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. vault — a safe
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. prune — to trim
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. hand — in cards

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