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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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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: prune · rush · sharp · saw · tear · coach · firm · hide

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. firm — a company
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. sharp — clever
  11. firm — steady
  12. firm — decided
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — to trim
  16. tear — to rip
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. saw — the tool
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. tear — from crying
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. tear — from crying
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rush — to hurry

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