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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: hide · rock · march · present · prune · temple · saw · sharp

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. prune — to trim
  6. present — there
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. rock — music
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. march — the month
  13. saw — the tool
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. march — music
  16. rock — a stone
  17. present — a gift
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. sharp — clever
  20. march — the month
  21. present — the time now
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. hide — to keep secret

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