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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.

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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: coach · board · file · lie · capital · fall · bank · prune

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  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. fall — the season
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. capital — money
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. bank — for money
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bank — for money
  9. capital — a city
  10. lie — to recline
  11. file — a tool
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. file — a document
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — to drop
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bank — of a river
  19. board — to get on
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. file — a line of people
  22. board — a committee
  23. board — a flat piece
  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