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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: prune · fan · lash · fork · rule · coach · face · fine

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. face — to point toward
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. face — part of the head
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. prune — to trim
  9. rule — a law
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. face — to confront
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. prune — to trim
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. fork — in a road
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fine — high quality
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. fine — all right

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