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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 · leaves · coach · bark · bank · sharp · track · straw

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. track — a path
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — to trim
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bank — for money
  10. track — to keep track
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bank — for money
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. bark — to shout
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. bank — of a river
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. sharp — clever
  23. track — a song
  24. coach — a trainer

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