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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: prune · calf · hide · row · stick · coach · bulb · cue

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. row — to paddle
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. prune — to trim
  10. cue — a signal
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. bulb — for light
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. prune — to trim
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bulb — for light
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. cue — for pool
  21. row — a line
  22. cue — a hint
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bulb — 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