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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 120 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: fine · face · coach · calf · prune · fan · rule · bark

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. rule — a law
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. face — to confront
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. prune — to trim
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. face — to point toward
  15. rule — government
  16. face — part of the head
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fine — high quality
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. fine — all right
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. fan — a supporter

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