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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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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: wind · cabinet · object · prune · pop · fine · cell · coach

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. pop — soda
  4. object — a thing
  5. object — an aim
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. pop — music
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. prune — to trim
  10. wind — moving air
  11. prune — to trim
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. object — to protest
  16. pop — to visit
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. cell — a phone
  20. fine — all right
  21. cell — in biology
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. wind — moving air

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