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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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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: tear · bank · straw · mug · safe · fall · coach · prune

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. tear — from crying
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. bank — for money
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mug — a face
  8. fall — to drop
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. bank — of a river
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. tear — to rip
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. mug — a cup
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. prune — to trim
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. prune — to trim
  21. tear — from crying
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — the season
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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