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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: lean · prune · coach · fan · track · deal · wind · march

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. march — the month
  3. lean — thin
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. wind — moving air
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. track — to keep track
  8. wind — moving air
  9. lean — to bend
  10. prune — to trim
  11. deal — to handle
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. track — a path
  14. track — a song
  15. march — the month
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. march — music
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. prune — to trim

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