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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: game · lash · file · wake · fine · prune · coach · rule

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. fine — high quality
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. file — a tool
  7. file — a document
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fine — all right
  10. prune — to trim
  11. rule — government
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. file — a line of people
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. game — a match
  17. wake — a trail
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. rule — a law
  21. prune — to trim
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. game — wild animals
  24. rule — to rule out

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