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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: leaves · sharp · coach · lie · row · hide · kid · prune

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. row — to paddle
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. kid — to tease
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. prune — to trim
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. row — a line
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. prune — to trim
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. kid — child
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. sharp — clever
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. coach — a trainer

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