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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: date · charge · prune · mate · rash · bank · coach · staff

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bank — for money
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. staff — employees
  5. rash — a series
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. staff — employees
  9. mate — a partner
  10. bank — of a river
  11. date — the fruit
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — to trim
  14. mate — a friend
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. charge — electricity
  18. staff — a stick
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mate — to breed
  21. charge — in control
  22. rash — hasty
  23. bank — for money
  24. charge — a price

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