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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.

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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 · vault · kick · prune · tear · present

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. present — the time now
  3. present — there
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. prune — to trim
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. vault — a safe
  9. kick — in football
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. prune — to trim
  12. tear — to rip
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. tear — from crying
  16. present — a gift
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. tear — from crying

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