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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: coach · prune · mark · ruler · calf · spring · face · board

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. face — to point toward
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. board — to get on
  6. spring — of water
  7. face — part of the head
  8. spring — a coil
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. spring — the season
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. mark — a grade
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. prune — to trim
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. board — a committee
  20. mark — a trace
  21. prune — to trim
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. mark — to pay attention

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