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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.

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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 · deal · bark · tear · safe · stick · coach

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bark — to shout
  5. deal — to handle
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. tear — from crying
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. prune — to trim
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. tear — to rip
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. safe — a strongbox

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