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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.

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: straw · sharp · coach · prune · drill · mark · stick · wound

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. drill — army training
  5. prune — to trim
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. prune — to trim
  8. mark — a trace
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. wound — an injury
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. drill — a practice
  16. drill — the tool
  17. sharp — clever
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. mark — a grade
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. wound — an injury
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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