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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.

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: safe · trunk · prune · hide · stem · bowl · march · coach

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. stem — to come from
  12. prune — to trim
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. march — the month
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. prune — to trim
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. march — music
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. march — the month
  24. stem — of a plant

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