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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: prune · tear · craft · roll · bay · coach · lash · firm

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. roll — a cake
  3. tear — to rip
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. firm — decided
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. prune — to trim
  16. tear — from crying
  17. craft — a skill
  18. firm — a company
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. craft — boats
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. firm — steady
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. 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