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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — to trim
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bank — for money
  7. drill — army training
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. bank — for money
  13. net — in sport
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. net — after costs
  17. net — for catching
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. bank — of a river
  21. drill — the tool
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. drill — a practice

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