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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 116 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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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: snap · cell · nail · file · prune · coach · cue · pit

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. file — a document
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. cue — a hint
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. snap — to click
  12. file — a tool
  13. cell — in biology
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. cell — a phone
  16. pit — a hole
  17. prune — to trim
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. cue — a signal
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. pit — in a race
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. file — a line of people

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