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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: hand · mark · prune · coach · file · snap · tube · present

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. hand — help
  3. file — a line of people
  4. prune — to trim
  5. present — the time now
  6. mark — a grade
  7. file — a tool
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. file — a document
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mark — a trace
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. present — a gift
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. present — there
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. prune — to trim
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. tube — a container
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. snap — to click
  24. mark — to pay attention

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