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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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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: kick · prune · pit · hide · lie · coach

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. prune — to trim
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. lie — to recline
  7. prune — to trim
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pit — in a race
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. pit — a hole
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. kick — a thrill

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