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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
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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: scale · present · cap · file · fan · mine · lean · coach

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. file — a line of people
  3. cap — a hat
  4. lean — to bend
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. file — a document
  7. cap — of ice
  8. scale — size or range
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. scale — in music
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. cap — a lid
  14. lean — thin
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. present — a gift
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. file — a tool
  20. present — there
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. present — the time now

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