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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: chip · cue · prune · coach · cap · lie · wake · plane

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. prune — to trim
  4. wake — a trail
  5. lie — to recline
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. cap — a lid
  8. plane — a tool
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. prune — to trim
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. cue — a hint
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. chip — to eat
  20. chip — for betting
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cue — a signal
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cap — of ice

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